Former Columbus Mayor, Police Chief passes away
Former Columbus Mayor and Police Chief, Jim Wetherington, has passed away, according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.
Image: State Board of Pardons and Paroles website
Wetherington passed away at his home on January 6, 2024.
Wetherington served as the city’s Chief of Police from 1981 to 1995, then as the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections from 1999 to 2002, until finally being elected as the 67th Mayor of Columbus from 2007 to 2011.
During his time at the Columbus Police Department, which began in 1959, he rose through the ranks as Sergeant, Lieutenant, Director (Alcohol Safety Action Project), Commander (Patrol/Detective Division) and then Chief of Police in 1981.
Wetherington graduated from Campbellton, Florida High School and then joined the Army and served as a military police officer including at the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC, according to The State Board of Pardons and Paroles website. Wetherington was married to his wife, Shirley, for 67 years, and had three children.
The Greater Columbus, Georgia Chamber of Commerce said in a social media post, “The business community mourns the passing of former mayor, Jim Wetherington. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife of 67 years, Shirley, and their family.”
Wetherington died at the age of 87. Rest in Peace.
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