Bill E. McGee

Bill was born April 13, 1945, in Hattisburg, Mississippi, where he lived until he was eight years old, when his father's military career brought the family to Washington. Bill was a quarterback for the Port Orchard Wolves and remained active in reunions for his Alma Matter. He was raised in the church and was committed to Jesus throughout his life. The draft sent him to Vietnam. When he returned he went back to his job with the phone company, Ma Bell.

His lifelong passion was flying. From the time he was three years old, if ever he could not be found, it would turn out he was watching planes take off and land at the base. He became a pilot at an early age and sometimes flew for work while at the phone company. After retirement, he went to work for an air transport company out of Boeing Field that flew nationally and internationally, usually transporting goods but also people who could afford commissioned flights cross country; this included South America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. After retiring from that job, he still would often go to the airport and watch sky divers. Any conversation was always subject to interruption by an overhead plane. People knew him as "the pilot" wherever he went though he poo-poo'd that nomenclature, "I'm just Bill".

Bill died July 1st, 2022. He was predeceased by his brother Gary and by his son, Ryan who died at age nine. He is survived by his kids from his first marriage, Steven R. LaRoza and Sandra R. LaRoza, and by his son from his second marriage, William (J.R.) McGee, and by his daughter, Piper from his third marriage, and by his sister Ellen Macomber and numerous grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held for him, Friday, August 25th, 2023, @ 1:00 p.m., at the Shelton Presbyterian Church, 1430 E. Shelton Springs Road, followed by a potluck.