Memorial service is Oct. 22 for Alabama Power official, community leader Willie Maise
A memorial service for longtime Alabama Power Co. official Willie Maise is set for 3 p.m. Oct. 22 at Glencoe Bible Methodist Church.
Maise, who died Oct. 7 at age 70, retired in 2010 after 37 years with Alabama Power, the final 11 as division manager for Etowah and Blount counties and part of St. Clair County.
He told reporter Andy Powell for a Gadsden Times story on his retirement that he’d worked in 10 roles for the company — "from marketing to engineering to management to labor relations, human resources.”
Maise told Powell, “Since you can't be an expert on anything you need to know a little bit about everything. That's kind of been my motto, too.”
A self-described “good old country boy,” Maise began working for Alabama Power in 1973, as a co-op student while attending Auburn University (from which he received an electrical engineering degree in 1975).
He told Powell an uncle had told him that Alabama Power was a good company to work for, and while his dream was to become an attorney, he figured he had a better chance of becoming an engineer, and could enter that profession more quickly and reap more financial benefits.
However, Maise was able to fulfill his original goal by attending Birmingham School of Law at night, receiving a degree in 1981 and passing the state bar exam on his first attempt.
He told Powell the impetus for that was being arrested and briefly jailed for writing a bad check (to purchase a Bible). He said he had sufficient money in his account to cover the check, and eventually sued (and settled with) his bank over the error.
Maise told Powell he went to law school because he “never wanted to be at a disadvantage dealing with the legal system.”
Away from work, Maise was involved with numerous charitable organizations and served on the board of United Way of Etowah County, including terms as president and campaign chairman. He told Powell he enjoyed working with United Way “because it touches so many people in the community in so many different ways and not just fundraising.”
He also served as president of the Gadsden State Community College Foundation (he attended GSCC before Auburn), and in 2008 was named Etowah County’s Citizen of the Year at the Community Intensive Treatment for Youth Program’s celebrity roast.
Maise is survived by his widow, Charlotte Coley Maise; daughters, Amanda Maise and Gina Maise Speagle; son-in-law, Scott Speagle; granddaughter, Sydney Charlotte Speagle; grandsons, Grant Michael and Sawyer Maise Speagle; brother John "Danny" Maise (Lois); and sister, Kitty Maise Wurtz (John).
Glencoe Bible Methodist is at 901 Sue Drive. The family will begin receiving guests at 2 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Remembering Alabama Power's Willie Maise
