Bill grew up in the small town of Oxford, Kansas and liked to say he graduated from Oxford – Oxford High School. He attended Emporia State University where he briefly played football and baseball but cut back on sports to spend more time with his high school sweetheart Iris McDaniel. Bill and Iris were married in December 1951.

He began his Industrial Engineering career at Boeing in Wichita, broken up by four years in the Air Force and then moved his family to Auburn in 1958 for Boeing. He continued his education in Washington where he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound. After a nearly 40-year ca- reer at Boeing, working on B-47, 727, 737, 747, 757 and B-2 airplanes, he retired in 1989.

He loved all things aviation, building and flying radio-controlled planes, earning his private pilot’s license at age 70 and even sky diving to celebrate his 80th birthday. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, hiker and loved wood- working and travel. He took great pride in his Kansas roots and returned many times throughout the years.

Bill was widowed in 1998 and married a fellow Irish mid-westerner he met at church, Lois Gilbert in 2003.

He was preceded in death by his wife Iris, daughter Kathleen and sister Marilyn. Bill is survived by his wife Lois, brother Neil (Nancy), sons Michael (Lori) and Kevin, granddaughters Carli (Blake) Pritchett, Molli (Mitch) Carollo and Cassidy McCrabb and 3 great grandchildren.

Bill was laid to rest at Mt. View Cemetery on July 20th. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Auburn Food Bank.