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Bill Edwards (December 1, 1922 – February 7, 2000) was an American film and television actor, championship rodeo rider, and artist.

A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (June 2018)

Bill Edwards
Born	(1922-12-01)December 1, 1922 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died	February 7, 2000(2000-02-07) (aged 77) Mercer County, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Film, television actor, Artist
Years active	1938-1987
Spouse(s)	Florence Lorraine Hillerman, Floramay Byers, Cheryl Cullender, Beryl Margret Hunter, Hazel Allen Edwards
Children	four Daughters (three with Floramay and one with Hazel Allen)

Early years

Bill Edwards was born as Edgar William Willar Junior in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia. He graduated from the Valley Forge Academy, attended Colgate University, and graduated from Haverford College.

Edwards began drawing horses as a child and became a noted artist as an adult.

At one point, Bill become a championship rodeo rider but Broken bones brought his riding career to a halt, and the 6-foot-5 Bill Edwards became a model in New York City. An agent brought him to Hollywood in the early 1940s. He was under contract to Paramount Pictures for nearly a decade, after which he turned to art.^{[citation needed]}

Career

This section does not cite any sources. (June 2018)

In addition to Western films, the blonde, blue-eyed Edwards had featured roles in Our Hearts Were Young and Gay and Hail the Conquering Hero, both released in 1944.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1950s, Edwards became a painter. He created illustrations for Hanna-Barbera and Disney as well as creating the artwork for numerous book and novel covers. Edwards was commissioned by the United States Air Force Art Program to paint recruiting posters and paintings of Air Force planes and combat scenes. Several, such as one entitled "Generation Gap," were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution, the Pentagon and a traveling Air Force exhibit.

He had an illustrious career as an artist, and he became best known for his paintings of the Old West. His works were sold at numerous galleries throughout California and the Southwest, and many of his paintings of the Old West hang in private collections.

Personal life/death

This section does not cite any sources. (June 2018)

Bill was married five times.

1) On May 19, 1945, Bill married Florence Lorraine Hillerman (1922-1975) in Saint Mary's Episcopal Church in Haddon Heights, New Jersey.

2) In January 1946, Bill married Hazel Allen (aka Hazel Aho).

3) On April 5, 1953, Bill married Floramay "Babs" Byers (1920-1969) in the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church. They had three children together.

4) On September 20, 1970, after Babs death, Bill married Cheryl Cullender (born in 1922) in a Rodeway Inn in Honolulu.

5) On December 25, 1979, Bill married Beryl Margaret Hunter in Honolulu. Beryl was born in 1932 in Middlesex, England. They were happily married until her death on December 12, 1995.

Bill was living with his sister Joan Willar Sheets in Princeton Junction, N.J. at the time of his death. His permanent residence was Belmont House, Joshua Tree National Monument in California. He was cremated and his ashes spread at Lost Horse Cave, at Joshua Tree. He had been a park ranger there for many years. He also has a headstone in his family plot in Philadelphia.

Selected filmography

External links

• Bill Edwards at IMDb

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