William Thomas Kaarlela

William Thomas Kaarlela was born in Calumet, Mich., on Jan. 28, 1933. He was the 13th of 19 children, and nicknamed "scholar" by his siblings. His mother Lydia was born in Finland and his father Henry was the son of Finnish immigrants. His family lived on a farm in the rural Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. In school, Bill was a successful student, who was advanced two grades and graduated from high school at age 16. He was a skilled hockey and baseball player. Borrowing a brother's books, Bill went to Michigan Tech, majoring in the field of metallurgical engineering. Bill supported himself through college by working 40-plus hours per week at a gas station. After graduating from college, Bill worked a couple of years for General Motors in Dayton, Ohio, then entered the United States Army which took him to Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla. It was while there he met Janice Lea Kilpatrick at a church dance. They were married on Feb. 1, 1957. After his time in the service ended, Bill and Jan moved to Fort Worth, where Bill started work at General Dynamics/Lockheed for the next 35 years. Bill was a highly respected technical expert in his field of metallurgy, helping test and refine parts design for jets including the B-58, F-111 and F-16. As an inventor, Bill had the most active U.S. patents of any active GDFW/Lockheed employee including ones for magnetic rubber, a boron cutting tool and synthetic diamond growing. After retirement in 1993, Bill was a highly sought-after instructor providing seminars in metallurgical troubleshooting and quality management all over the U.S. to companies such as American Airlines, Ford Motor Company, and the U.S. Navy. Bill also taught engineering classes at Tarrant County College for 20-plus years. Bill and Jan began their life in Fort Worth in 1957 and have two sons, Mitch and Matt. Bill and Jan were longtime members of Southwayside Baptist Church. The church was a vital part of their lives, with many of their best friends being fellow church members. Bill taught a popular young married couples Sunday school class for decades and mentored many young aspiring ministers over the years. Bill also loved sports and was an avid golfer for many years. He also enjoyed softball, hockey and bowling.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and most of his siblings.

Survivors: He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Jan; son, Mitch and wife, Amy, of Benbrook; son, Matt and wife, Shelly, of Rhome; along with five grandchildren.