William Harrison Haycock

William H. Haycock was born in Washington D.C. on March 3, 1926. He was a five letterman in high school and earned a scholarship to the University of Michigan, but decided to join the Army Air Corp at age seventeen as a pre-aviation cadet. The Air Corp was over its quota for pilots and bombardiers so Mr. Haycock was trained as a tail gunner on B-24's and B-29’s and served in the South Pacific and Philippines during World War II. He was seriously injured on the Island of Tinian and while in the hospital in Saipan he met General Eisenhower. After the war he entered the University of Maryland and in 1948 married his beautiful next-door neighbor, Katie Israel. Katie and Bill had three children, Mike, Tom and Susie. Mike and his wife, Lyn have four children and ten grandchildren. Tom and his wife, Linda have two children and five grandchildren. Susie and her husband, Gary, have one son. Katie preceded Bill in death on April 11, 2010. They had 62 years of a great marriage. After graduation from University of Maryland in 1950 he was employed as Assistant Recreation Director of the Arlington Hall Army Security Station based in Arlington, Virginia. He was transferred to Pinecastle Air Force Base (subsequently named McCoy Air Force Base) in Orlando, Florida, in 1958 and was employed as Base Recreation Director. He retired from McCoy in 1975 and was then employed in the City of Orlando Recreation Bureau, retiring in 1998 as Assistant Chief of Recreation after 41 years of service in Armed Forces Recreation, Boys Club and Municipal Recreation. Mr. Haycock was a longtime member of National Recreation and Park Association and the Florida Recreation and Park Association and was a charter member and past President and Secretary Treasurer of the Florida Municipal Golf Course Association. Mr. Haycock received the National Recreation and Park Association Armed Forces Recreations Society “Special Merit Award” in 1968 for outstanding achievements in Armed Forces recreation leadership. He was also the recipient of a “Certificate of Merit” in 1967 for being the most outstanding civilian recreator in the Strategic Air Command. Mr. Haycock received the Florida Recreation and Park Association Service Award, Veterans of Foreign Wars “Spirit of ’76 Helping Hand Award” for service to senior citizens. He had published several articles in the NRPA, FRPA and Florida Golf Course magazines. Mr. Haycock had chaired several FRPA State Committees and served on several NRPA National Committees including Co-Chairman of the Room Host Committee for the NRPA National Conference in Orlando in 1984. In addition to his recreational employment, Mr. Haycock had been quite active in civic organizations, having served on Boards of Directors of Missile Bowl Committee, United Fund of Central Florida, Sertoma, Retired Senior Volunteers Program Crimes Against Elderly Committee, Marks Street Senior Citizen Center Advisory Board, Orange County Council on Aging, and Orange County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Mayor’s Senior Citizen Advisory Committee. He was a member of NRPA, FRPA, AARP, NARFE and a lifetime member of Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Mr. Haycock was a “Certified Recreation Professional” with the Florida Recreation and Park Association. Upon retirement Mr. Haycock was awarded the coveted Florida Recreation and Park Association “Lifetime Award”. He was a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels program and had been very active in various church committees. A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 11:00 AM at St. Mary of the Angels Episcopal Church, 6316 Matchett Road, Orlando, FL 32809.