Bill asked me to let you know of his passing over by letter. He died the way he lived, not wanting to inconvenience anyone by going to a funeral or memorial service. As a family, we are granting him his wish. He asked for simple cremation with no theatrics, and to be scattered on the OSU golf course in view of our house, at sea from an aircraft carrier, and on the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. When it is my time, mixed together we will be taken to the Matterhorn summit by a Swiss climbing guide and scattered. Because we were mountain climbers I can't think of a more romantic ending to a happy 49 year marriage.

Most everyone knows Bill's professional life, his integrity, his commitment and devotion to his work and family, so I thought you might like to know a little about his life that he never talked about. Bill never lived in the past or talked about himself-it was always the present and future.

Bill was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He went to Medary Elementary School, Indianola Jr. High, North High School, and The Ohio State University. He excelled in everything he did. He took acrobatic tap dancing for 8 years and was in many shows around town. Sometime during his high school years he told his mother "No more!" He played baseball for North and was elected captain his senior year. That year they went clear to the state finals, and lost by two runs. Bill went on to play baseball for Ohio State, and that year they took the Big Ten Conference Championship. In retirement he coached little league baseball. He was a good tennis player and golfer his whole life, and also a fine musician and woodworker.

Because of WWII, after one year at OSU he enlisted in the Navy and became a dashing Naval Aviator. His nickname was "Hotso." In the process of becoming a flier he went to many schools, flight fields, and air stations. While at the Univ. of Penn. for pre flight training he earned a letter in baseball. It was during this time that the Pittsburgh Pirates sent a scout to watch him play. He was lightning fast with the ball at 2nd base to make double plays. And he just happened to hit a grand slam home run (his only one ever). He was asked to contact them after the war, but when the war was over he wanted to go back to Ohio State. Bill claims he only made one error during all of his baseball days. The ball went between his legs. I believe him.

Bill flew many planes while in training, and then flew a carrier based TBF torpedo bomber, which at the time was the largest single engine plane in the world. He also flew a SNJ dive-bomber. He flew from many carriers, mostly Essex class, which included the Essex and the Tarawa. I remember him mentioning the Block Island. It was an escort carrier. In the TBF while diving the stick pressure was so great it took both hands on the stick. A mechanic was careless and left an oily rag in the cockpit and it few up onto Bill's goggles. He had to take one hand away to clear the rag and with it being too much pressure for one hand, the nose of the plane dipped down and everyone watching was expecting him to crash. He somehow pulled it out within inches of crashing. God must have had other plans for him. Bill once told me that it was hard for him to achieve the mental hardness sufficient to withstand the loss of pilot friends. He lost so many.

Bill was in the Navy 5 years and afterwards was a weekend warrior, flying from Port Columbus. He was called back into service for the Korean War where he flew anti-submarine warfare. His plane was as wide as the carrier he flew from. On one landing the hook jumped over the wire and his plane crashed, breaking in two right behind his seat. An admiral had been watching the landings and the tip of the plane wing missed the admiral by inches. Bill retired a Commander-had flown jets and broke the sound barrier, flying faster than sound. He said there was no plane vibration like in movies. The only way he knew was from his instruments. He was licensed to fly commercial planes but never did.

Bill loved mountains and we climbed them in the Czech High Tatras, Austrian Alps, Greece, Swiss Alps, Canadian Rockies, Grand Tetons and all over our West. We cruised to Alaska. We hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back out. We took many trips all over creation and had such fun. Just the two of us together exploring. He loved high up in the Swiss Alps best, and we went there 3 times, always for a month. Each time we went up the Matterhorn but never to the top. I am afraid of heights but I was beside Bill on every mountain, just knowing I would fall thousands of feet to eternity. But Bill's hand was always there for me if he sensed I was in trouble. We had one more trip to the Swiss Alps planned, the year Bill became ill.

Last May one of Bill's life long dreams came true. He got his salt water see through aquarium. It replaces a wall. It holds 500 gallons and his fish are beautiful. He also was able to greet over 1000 people to see his G scale garden railroad two mornings last Aug.