UPDATE: Wells' funeral arrangements have been set. Visitation will take place Friday, January 29th from 4-8 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Murray.
A Celebration of Life event has also been scheduled for Saturday, January 30th at 2 p.m.
The Heritage Family Funeral Home in Murray is in charge of arrangements.
Remembrances of former Murray Mayor Bill Wells are populating social media posts. Close friends and family members are reporting the passing of Wells on Saturday from a rapidly progressing rare neurological disease.
The disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, affects about one person in every one million; there are about 300 cases per year in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Wells, 70, had been a fixture in the Murray community. He served on Murray’s city council and as the city’s Mayor from 2010 to 2014.
Wells was a retired educator. He served as principal of Murray High School.
Well’s is also credited with starting the city’s “Make a Difference Day,” a monthly recycling event. The 95th Make a Difference Day occurred in March.
Funeral arrangements are pending.