William Fasking

Kentucky arrangements were handled by Milner & Orr Funeral Home in Paducah. Interment will be at East Lawn Memorial Gardens columbarium in Bloomington. There will be no services.

Born February 24, 1922, near Chenoa, he was the 4th child of William and LuVella (Schmale)

Fasking. He grew up on farms in the Chenoa and Lexington area, graduated from Lexington High School and soon after enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. Mr. Fasking proudly served his country from 1940-1945 as a glider pilot in all three major actions of the 9th Air Force in Europe during World War II: D-Day, Market Garden and Crossing the Rhine. After leaving military service, he owned and operated a Standard Oil Station and Body Shop in Lexington.

He married Barbara Jean Claggett on October 13, 1942, at Lexington. Together they raised four children: Bill (Donna) Fasking, of Lexington; Dennis (Linda) Fasking, of Benton, Kentucky.; Marie Leuchtenberg, of Lexington; and Carol Webb, of Colfax.

Retirement took them to Gulfport, Mississippi, in the 1980s, where they lived for over 25 years before relocating nearer to family in Benton, Kentucky during 2008. His wife, Barb, passed in 2011, months shy of their 69th wedding anniversary, leaving a large void in his life for the next 6 years.

His family remembers him as a man with a strong constitution; a hard worker who remained active throughout his life. He kept up on world news and always had concern for military personnel especially when deployed multiple times. He was fiercely proud of the family he and Barb raised; even though he kidded his children often that he was still working on them. He so enjoyed watching his grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow through pictures and the occasional visit: Pam (Mick) Freed, of Normal, (Lindsey and Lance); Eric (Jennifer) Fasking, of Winter Haven, Fla. (Jacob); Greg (Kim) Fasking, of Mountain Brook, Ala., (Emma, Ethan,

Everett, Evelyn, Elias and Elise); David (Stephanie) Fasking, of Debary, Fla. (David, Sophia and

Joe); Jennifer Janes, of Bloomington (Emery and Angel); and Jim (Sarah) Webb, of El Paso (Lilly and Layla). He had not yet met his great great granddaughter Izzabella (daughter of Emery and Amber).

Preceding him in death were his parents, wife, three brothers (Donald, Dale and Kenneth), two sisters (Thelma Armentrout and Audrey Hazel) and one great granddaughter (Angel).

According to his children, their Dad leaves a legacy that is not easy to put into words but those of Shannon Adler’s come to mind: “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” It will be impossible for his family not to share stories about his life.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the museum which preserves the legacy of the World War II glider pilots: Silent Wings Museum, 6202 N. I-27, Lubbock, TX 79403-9710.