James William "Bill" Shastid

Golfer, engineer, inventor, Marine, volunteer, teacher, confidant, friend, uncle, brother, husband, father, Christian.

James William Shastid, or Bill as he liked to be called, was all of these roles and more; words fail to capture and describe accurately and exhaustively.

He was born in a humble home to Virginia and Walter Shastid on an ordinary day in the steel town of Granite City, Ill. When he was very young, his natural father fell victim to the rigors of a steel worker's work - at a young 35 years old, Walter passed away from Silicosis, leaving Virginia destitute with her children.

Bill’s childhood was fraught with the hunger and deprivation of the Great Depression. The family was rescued from abject poverty by a rail man, Mr. Clarence Ficker. Clarence became Bill’s step-dad, tremendously influencing his future. By Clarence's example, and being very resourceful in himself, Bill became a problem solver: a boy very capable of finding his own means of making a living.

His resourcefulness and creativity, though, did not spare Bill from the inevitability of following in his father's footsteps - going to work for the deadly steel mill.

However, Bill was a survivor! Before he would have been dragged into that job at 17, his elder sisters, Norma-Jean and Johnnye, acted jointly to ensure that 'Billy' completed his High School education, wherein, he learned and acquired drafting and machinist skills. Armed with these skills, he had the courage to leave the steel mill never to return, after he would have been forced to do work that would have likely killed him at an age even younger than his father.

Following a short time working various jobs in St. Louis, 'Billy' opted to enlist into the Marine Corp, along with his childhood buddies. He was first assigned to Camp Pendleton from Cherry Point at the end of his basic training, to prepare for deployment - to Korea. Fortunately, while underway, the Armistice was signed. He was re-assigned to Japan as a peace keeper, where he fell in love with the people and the land.

He would also fall in love before shipping out: he met a beautiful blonde woman at a USO dance - Shirley Marie. They kept correspondence with each other while Bill was in Japan. When he returned and was honorably discharged from the Marines, he married Shirley (Marie Shastid) - and were blessed with 57 years of marriage.

During their first ten years of marriage, Bill’s first job was as a machinist for General Dynamics, Convair Division. At Convair, he rose rapidly in rank through promotions, buoyed by his natural resourcefulness and unique experience as a radio electrician in the Marine Corp. He also made use of one of the many skills acquired at Granite City High: mechanical and electrical drafting. Bill entered the field of Aeronautical Engineering. Without formal college degree, his inventiveness and sheer intelligence made him an invaluable resource to those for whom he worked. His talents would lead him to the General Dynamics Astronautics Program, which was charged with building the technology that would eventually send men to the moon. He regularly consorted with astronauts and with the father of rocket engineering himself, Wernher von Braun. Bill remained a highly respected Engineer in the ensuing years; he would be instrumental in designing many advancements in technology - from the power supply adapters we use to power our laptops to the thrust reversers system in commercial jet liners that slow your 747 so it can land! He became legendary in professional circles who knew and appreciated his work.

During the long tenure of his career, he had one child - a son - James Brien Shastid, who survives him. He raised his son with the greatest love and when Bill retired, his paternal love expanded to include others.

Through his service as a Paradise Valley Hospital Volunteer, he shared that love with many and in the process changed lives and healed broken souls. Arguably, this was his most important and greatest work - and his lasting legacy. From the staff, volunteers, patients, and visitors of Paradise Valley to the lonely souls of Hillcrest's gay community, Bill shed his love to brighten and inspire many in their respective worlds.

He is a true hero and a man deserving of great respect and praise.

On January 23, 2018, Bill Shastid entered his Heavenly reward and left us lessons in love we would all be wise to remember and follow in our own lives and to honor his memory.

He will be interred at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita with his beloved wife Shirley.