John William Bookwalter Jr.

Bill was born at home in Coal City, Illinois and was the son of John William Bookwalter, Sr. and Adeline Amidon Bookwalter. He was the third child with an older sister, Mardel and brother, Lane.

Bill was fifteen at the time of Pearl Harbor and his life dramatically changed. He left school at 11:00 a.m. each day to drive a grain truck to Chicago as all the men had left for war, as had his older brother.

Bill enlisted in the United States Navy at 18 and was doing so when he was notified his brother had been killed. Two weeks later he reported for duty. Always good at math, he was trained to be a navigator and served on the U.S.S. Alaska in the Pacific until the war ended.

Bill attended Illinois Wesleyan University on the G.I. Bill following the war. There he met Elaine Morgan and married. They settled in Evansville, Indiana and raised four sons.

Bill went to work at Indiana Bell Telephone Company. He quickly climbed the corporate ladder and was transferred to Indianapolis, then New York City to AT&T Corporate headquarters, and back to Indianapolis.

In 1979, he married Connie Fortinberry, who was the true love of his life as well as his best friend. He was able to retire at 57 and together they traveled the world for forty years. They spent 15 years in Illinois, 8 years in Sedona, Arizona and the final 20 years in Hernando, Florida.

Bill was incredibly strong and healthy and only became sick one week before his death. He died at home with Connie shortly after hearing from all four sons.

Bill was proceeded in death by his parents, his sister Mardel Phillips, and his brother Lt. Lane Bookwalter.

He is survived by his wife Connie and sons Dr. John William Bookwalter III (Donna), Dale Morgan Bookwalter (Rhonda), Timothy Lane Bookwalter, Dr. Matthew Mason Bookwalter (Maddie), ten grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren and Meka, his cat.

A life well lived, God's speed Dad.

Graveside Family Services will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2024, followed by a Celebration of Life on August 10, 2024 from 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Citrus Hills Golf and Country Club, 505 East Hartford Street, Hernando, Florida.

Bill loved his little cat, Meka. She was the light of his life and brought him countless hours of joy during the last years of his life. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions might be made to Citrus County Foundation for Animal Protection (CCFAP), P. O. Box 1164, Inverness, FL 34451