(Editor's note: Funeral arrangement information has been added to the bottom of the story.)
Iconic lure designer William Edward Chambers Sr., the founder of Zoom Bait Company, passed early Tuesday morning, the company announced in a press release.
Chambers experienced complications after treatment for a rare form of Mantle Cell Lymphoma. He was 78.
Zoom Bait Company started as a hobby for Chambers, who tinkered with building baits in a dirt floor one-horse barn in his backyard. The company was officially founded in 1977 and has grown to be one of the most successful and recognizable brands in the fishing industry.
The company continues to be family-owned and operated with Faye Chambers, Ed's wife, working by his side throughout the company's history. Often, she was found on their living room floor bagging worms and loading their station wagon, so she could deliver them to UPS.
As the company grew, friends and fellow fishermen from the Athens (Ga.) Bassmasters began to help out. Eddie Wortham, while still in high school, was Chambers' first employee. Today, Wortham still works at Zoom as General Manager.
Shortly after Chambers started the company, Chambers' son, William Edward Chambers Jr., while still in school, stepped in and began running routes delivering worms with Wortham, across the southeast.
In the late 1980s, what was once a hobby had turned into a big business and Chambers turned to his son and daughter to steer the business forward. Eddie Jr. graduated from the University of Georgia and returned to the family business, while his younger sister Kym pursued a nursing career. Kym graduated from college and worked as an RN for several years before joining Zoom to fill her mother’s shoes, when Faye decided to retire.
Chambers was described as a humble man, who never saw himself as famous. He was frequently worked seven days a week while seeking constant perfection in his products. This was evident in his second hobby, making handmade balsa crankbaits. W.E.C. Custom Lures was his passion and W.E.C. was born around 1992. By the mid 90s, production was in full swing. With the help of close friends, Chambers developed many crankbait models that are highly sought after to this day.
Arrangements for Chambers are as follows:
> Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2018
> Visitation: 10 a.m. EST
> Funeral: 11 a.m.
> Location: Lord & Stephens West Funeral Home, 1211 Jimmy Daniel Road, Bogart, GA 30622
> The family will remain and accept visitors on site after the funeral for those who cannot make it at 10 a.m.
> In lieu of flowers, the Chambers family is requesting donations be made to support Mantle Cell Lymphoma research.
MD Anderson Cancer Center
c/o Dr. Michael Wang, MD & Professor
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Box 429
Houston, Texas 77030
