Dr. Edwin Little honored in Pink Hill as he retires after decades of service

PINK HILL — Pink Hill residents gathered to honor Dr. Edwin Little as he retires after more than four decades of serving the community, marking the end of an era for one of the town’s longtime physicians.

During the recognition, Pink Hill Mayor Mike Horne said Little had been a steady presence in the lives of local families for generations.

“We want to thank everybody for coming today and honoring Dr. Little,” Horne said. “He’s been such a big part of our community.”

Horne said he had been a patient of Little’s since returning from Florida in 1984 and that his children had also been under Little’s care. He described the retirement as both a celebration and a difficult moment for the town.

“We have a lot of important gatherings in this town, but rarely do we have one that is filled so much with appreciation and, let’s be honest, a little bit of sadness too,” Horne said.

He praised Little not only for his work in medicine, but for the broader role he played in helping provide stability and care in Pink Hill over the years.

“When you look back on history in our town, it is marked not just by the buildings or the roads that are paved,” Horne said. “It is marked by the people who take care of us.”

In his remarks, Little thanked the town for its support, including those who helped establish the local medical building years ago.

“Over the past couple months, I’ve had so many people come and thank me, and I want to thank them in return,” Little said. “I want to thank all the people in the town that participated in the drive to get the building set up, contributed a lot of money, and that’s the reason the building is here today.”

Little said he initially worked with a medical group to fulfill a three-year service obligation, but he and his wife, Nancy, ultimately decided to remain in Pink Hill.

“We decided, well, we want to stay,” he said.

He credited Nancy Little with helping build and support the practice over the years, saying she served as office manager and handled a wide range of responsibilities.

“She balanced the books, checked people back, assisted in surgery, drew blood, and she had the best collection rate that has ever been at that office,” Little said.

He also recognized staff members who worked alongside him through the years. Little said he was grateful for the outpouring of support from the community as he prepares for retirement.

“I just want to say to all of you here, thank you so much for all that you’ve done for me,” he said.

Little said retirement will include spending more time with family, exercising and working through a long list of projects at home.

“One of my grandchildren lives with us, and another one’s about as far away as the bank,” he said. “The other two are still in college, but they come down lots. Spending a lot more time with them, spending a lot more time over at the wellness center, exercising. My wife has a honey-do list about that long, I’m sure.”

While he has no plans to slow down completely, Little also reassured residents that he and his wife are staying in the area.

“We’re not moving anywhere,” he said. “We’re still gonna be right there.”

While community members discussed hopes that another physician may eventually serve the area, no formal announcement was made during the event about a successor.