Jackson - William (Bill) Zachry, 91, of Jackson, Mississippi, went to be with his Lord and Savior, on March 15, 2018. Bill was born in Meridian, Mississippi on January 20, 1927 to Sarah and John Zachry. Bill attended Meridian High School and upon graduating, he enlisted in The United States Army. Soon after, he received a letter that read “Greetings from the President of the United States.” He was bussed to Camp Shelby where he was inducted into the Army. Camp Wheeler Georgia was his next assignment, where he attended 17 weeks of basic training. In mid 1945, he was shipped out of Seattle, Washington to active duty in World War II. He was on the transport ship USS Marine Jumper, headed to the South West Pacific. The United States dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which ended the war. He was attached to the 7th Infantry Division. The Japanese had occupied Korea for over 30 years. The 7th Division went ashore and relieve the Japanese Army of their weapons. Bill continued his duty in Korea until he was honorably discharged in December of 1946, where he returned to the United States on the vessel, USS General Leroy Ellton. Bill married the first love of his life, Norma Meaders and they raised two children together. While working for the General Adjustment Bureau as an Insurance Investigator, Bill attended Night School at Mississippi State University. Bill was fortunate enough to find the second love of his life, Marilyn Freeman and greatly enjoyed over 10 years of marriage and the additional family this marriage provided. Bill also loved Golf and was an active member of Pearl Municipal Golf Club, where members knew him as “Papa Z”. He was still playing two to three times a week at 90 years of age. Bill also loved his vegetable garden. The fruits of which he enjoyed sharing with anyone and everyone. He also loved spending as much time as he could with his grandchildren and his great grandchildren. Bill is survived by his wife Marilyn Freeman Zachry; son Van (Beth) Zachry; and daughter Leslie (Willie) Morris. He is also survived by his grandchildren Laci Morris (Tyler) Walker, Ashton Zachry (Seth) Foy, Savannah Zachry, SarahBeth Morris (Alex) Webb, and Shelby Zachry. He is preceded in death by Norma Zachry, his wife of 50 years and the mother of his two children. Bill was a loyal member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for over 53 years. Visitation for Bill will be held at St. Luke's United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Funeral services will be held at St. Luke's United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Parkway Memorial Cemetery in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
