William J. Stilger, 90, passed away November 10th. Born April 26th, 1919 in Ryegate, Montana, Bill was raised in Portland, Oregon where he met and married Maxine Raizon in 1940.
During WWII he served in the Army in the Philippines, and after the conclusion of the war, he joined the Air Force Reserve. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and rose to the rank of colonel before retiring in 1970. His service took him and his family around the globe to places such as England, Arkansas, Indiana, Japan, Ohio, Korea and Virginia. While in Indiana, Bill completed course and residency requirements to earn a degree in business from Indiana University in 1959.
After his retirement from the military, he continued his education by earning his MBA from Pepperdine University and he and Maxine settled in Dallas, Texas. Bill enjoyed golfing, volunteering at his church and spending time with Maxine. He will be remembered as a generous and caring man who appreciated all the Lord had given him.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Maxine; children Lindi (George) Holmes of Lincoln, AR., Mary (Mike) Gallagher and Jeff (Mabel) Stilger of Wichita; grandchildren Tim Dalmasso, Matt (Shelly) Stilger of Wichita, Jeremy (Gretchen) Puckett of Paonia, CO and Rachel (Stephen) Davies of Fredericksburg, VA; great-grandchildren Ashlea, Amber and Alex Dalmasso, Lydia Puckett, Caleb and Ainsley Stilger, Elizabeth, T.J. and Johnny Davies.
Funeral Service 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Catholic Care Center, St. Elizabeth's Chapel, 6700 E. 45th North, with viewing one hour prior to service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund (www.freedomalliance.org) to support the children of veterans who have died or been disabled during their service.