Bill was born in Stirling, New Jersey, the first child of William Louis and Madeline Alice (Montrasio) Thievon. He was raised in north Jersey with a younger sister, Joan Marie, and many cousins, uncles, and aunts.
His love of all things mechanical began when he helped fix trucks at his grandfather’s trucking business. From there, he became interested in airplanes, eventually leading to a pilot’s license, degrees in aeronautical engineering and applied mathematics, and a 35+ year career with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Bill twice served in the US Marine Corps. He served from 1946-1948 in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during World War II restoration efforts. During college, he was in the reserves and was activated for duty during the Korean War, serving in Korea and Japan from 1950-1951.
Bill embodied the concept of “once a Marine, always a Marine”. He enjoyed schedules, order, and hard work, always tinkering with some sort of machine or building something in his workshop. He instilled in his family a strong work ethic and sense of personal responsibility. Bill also loved golf, the great outdoors (camping, hunting, fishing), gardening, model trains, stamp collecting, and yelling at the evening news.
He had a soft spot for his three grandsons, and it was in their presence that we would see one of his rare smiles and a special light in his eyes. But his greatest love was his wife Joan. Married in 1967, Bill and Joan (Bourdeau) were married for 51 years. They enjoyed traveling together, visiting nearly all the lighthouses in the US and Canada. When their three children were younger, they went on many long road trips in a motorhome, visiting numerous National Parks and state parks.
When he turned 80, Bill bought a snow blower. He was never one to slow down and found old age a pain in the … you know. He will be dearly missed.
Bill is survived by his wife Joan (Bourdeau) of Plano, TX; son William Thievon and wife Erna of Wiesbaden, Germany; daughter Linda (Thievon) Crossman and husband Michael of Frisco, TX; son Edward Thievon and wife Susan of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire; grandsons Nathaniel, Nicholas, and David; beloved nieces Eileen Schneegas and Jeanmarie Oien; and nephew Sean Craddock.
He is preceded in death by his parents, William Louis and Madeline Alice (Montrasio) Thievon; sister, Joan Marie (Thievon) Craddock; and longtime friends William and Mildred Schwartz.
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