WILLETT, Jr.
Edward Farrand
Edward Farrand Willett, Jr. was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, on January 30, 1933, and passed away peacefully December 7, 2021.
Edward graduated from Andrews University in 1954 and received a Juris Doctor
degree from George Washington University Law School in 1957. He was admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court and was a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association.
He began his career with the United States Federal Government in 1958 as an attorney adviser in the U.S. Civil Service Commission Office of the General Counsel. In 1970, Edward joined the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, where he first served as an Assistant Law Revision Counsel and in 1975 Edward was appointed by House Speaker Carl Albert as the first U.S. Law Revision Counsel.
Edward's responsibilities included constant revision of the United States Code to reflect newly enacted, amended, and repealed laws, periodic publication of new editions, and supplements to the Code, and preparation of bills to enact various titles of the Code into positive law, along with the hiring and training of other attorneys and clerical staff. He helped introduce the use of computers within the U.S. House of
Representatives and modernized the publication and accessibility of the Code through creation of a computerized database. Edward was proud to have been retained as the Law
Revision Counsel by House Speakers Tip O'Neil, Jim Wright, Tom Foley, and Newt Gingrich, and retired in 1997 after 38 years of dedicated civil service to Congress and our country.
Edward enjoyed retirement immensely, particularly travel, recreation, tennis, golf, and family vacations.
Preceded in death by his parents and son Jeffrey, Edward is survived by his beloved wife Anita of 67 years. He was the loving father of Gary Willett (Vilma), daughter Deborah Brendel (Michael), dear brother Robert Willett, cherished granddaughters Lauren, Nicole, and Cassandra, and treasured great-grandchildren.
WILLETT, Edward
