NATCHEZ &8212; Business and civic leader William J. Feltus III died at his home Tuesday. He was 76.

The family will receive visitors at Stratton Chapel, First Presbyterian Church, at 2 p.m. Thursday, with services to begin at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary.

Survivors include his wife, Betsy Nelson Feltus, four children and nine grandchildren.

Owner of a family business, Feltus Brothers Hardware, for many years, Feltus followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father in the business.

He was a founding partner of Energy Drilling Company in Natchez and maintained farming interests in Louisiana.

Feltus served on the board of directors at Britton & Koontz Bank for 36 years, 20 of those years as chairman, 1982 to 2002.

Page Ogden, B&K president and chairman, recalled Feltus as a friend, mentor and role model.

&8220;He recruited me to Natchez,&8221; Ogden said. &8220;He became a good friend. He was a very good chairman, a very well educated man. When he was in the room, you knew you were in the presence of someone who knew what he was saying.&8221;

Feltus attended public schools in Natchez and graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa for academic achievements.

Ogden said Feltus was known for his leadership as well as for his many and varied interests.

&8220;He was interested in farming. That was a natural from his hardware store serving so many farmers. And he loved boats and ships. He served in the Navy,&8221; Ogden said.

After college, Feltus enlisted in the Navy and served as an aerial photographer.

&8220;And although I am not a big hunter, he did take me along on hunts sometime,&8221; Ogden said. &8220;I know from experience that he was a great shot. He was a great golfer. Anything he did, he did well.&8221;

Feltus modernized and enlarged the hardware business when he took over. In 1980, he was National Hardware Merchandiser of the Year. He also served on the board and as president of the Southern Hardware Association.

Woody Allen, a Natchez petroleum company owner and chairman of the local economic development board, served for about 25 years with Feltus on the B&K board.

&8220;It&8217;s a tragic loss to this community and to the B&K family,&8221; Allen said. &8220;He was one of the most intelligent people I&8217;ve ever known, and he was a caring, understanding person.&8221;

He loved Natchez, Allen said. &8220;He wanted to see Natchez grow and prosper.&8221;

Larry L. &8220;Butch&8221; Brown, a former Natchez mayor and now executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, also recalls Feltus&8217; dedication to community.

&8220;Will Feltus was one of those who had a big impact on the community that not everyone knew about,&8221; Brown said.

When Brown moved back to Natchez after college, he taught night classes at the Natchez campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in existence at that time.

&8220;Will was president of the Chamber. He named me chairman of the higher education committee,&8221; Brown recalled. &8220;With his help and guidance, we became responsible for the legislation for building branch campuses throughout Mississippi. And then we extended it to include junior colleges. All of this happened because of Will Feltus&8217; vision.&8221;

Pat Burns, general manager of Energy Drilling, said Feltus will be missed by the company.

&8220;He had a lot of insight into how to make this business work in hard times,&8221; Burns said. &8220;We&8217;re really going to miss him and miss his advice.&8221;

Ogden said those who knew Feltus knew he was a deeply religious man.

&8220;A lot of the good things that flowed out of his life came from that.&8221;

Feltus was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church, where he served numerous times on the governing boards.

Allen remembers Feltus for treating everyone fairly and for the calm way he kept meetings under control.

Brown said he would always appreciate the confidence placed in him by Feltus.

&8220;He was a good friend. He gave me a lot of confidence and a lot of credit,&8221; Brown said.