William G. Cosola

On Sunday, February 21, 2021, William George Cosola — beloved husband, proud father, ruthlessly teasing brother, doting grandfather, steadfast friend, and esteemed colleague of all who ever had the honor of working with him, succumbed to complications arising from the insidious virus known to many as Covid. Bill was a physically healthy 73 year old who was taken far too soon.

Bill was born in Houston, Texas on July 13, 1947, to Charles Adonis and Margaret (Johnson) Cosola. He traveled to England at the tender age of one accompanied by his parents and older brother David where they and many younger siblings were born and would reside until Bill reached the age of twelve. When he came back to the states with his parents and siblings, they all settled in Sherrill, New York where he lived until 1966 when he graduated high school and enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served honorably and with distinction. Bill served in Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam and Clark Air Force Base in the Phillipines where two of his children were later born.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Roger, his son Michael, and his daughter Bryn. He is survived by his wife Nicole Marie Sagers Cosola, his siblings and their spouses: David Cosola, Jacqueline and Michael Eichenseer, Peter and Cindy Hinman- Cosola, Susan and Gary Wilcox, Valerie Lewis, Jo Anne Cosola, and Jennette Cosola, his children and their spouses: Dorothy and Robert J. Knott, William Jr. and Christie Cosola, Marilyn Cosola, Rose and John D’Abbraccio, Catherine and Jimmy Cannon; grandchildren: Selina, Daniel, Michael, Sidney, Charles, Evelyn, Michael, Sophia, Emma, Connor, Wyatt, Brody, Oakley, Haley, and Murphy, great grandchildren: Nataiya and Malik; many nieces and nephews; and his cherished dogs Atticus, Nymeria, Maggie and Mookie.

Bill joined the US Air Force after high school and served with honor and distinction in Vietnam and the Philippines. After serving eight years in the Air Force, Bill went to college and trade school for a couple of years, but subsequently reenlisted in the US Army where he would eventually go on to serve another 18 years. In reenlisting in the US Army in 1976, Bill began what would become a career in the Nuclear Weapons Maintenance field, an elite military occupational specialty that was crucial to winning the “Cold War".

Bill began his new career as a Non-Commissioned Officer at the rank of E-6(Staff Sergeant) at his first duty station of 27th Ordnance Company in Buren, Germany until 1981 when he applied for Warrant Officer Candidate School. He was accepted into the Warrant Officer Candidate School, and was sent to Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama where he completed the course and graduated as a Warrant Officer 01. Bill later went on to the 525th Ordnance Company in Heilbronn, Germany, NMOP(Nuclear Maintenance Operation Procedure) Shop, Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, NJ, where he met his future wife Nicole.

Bill relocated to Vilseck, Germany to the 7A CATC, and after marrying his wife Nicole, joined her in Gunzberg, Germany at the 510th Ordnance Company. After the birth of their daughter Catherine, Bill and his wife relocated back to Picatinny Arsenal in September 1988. Bill was assigned to the AMC IG, Division Technical Inspection where among other duties, he inspected chemical depots throughout the continental United States.

In 1991, Bill relocated to El Paso, Texas and to what would become his final Duty Station. Due to the impending end of the Cold War, he was stationed at the 528th Ordnance Company in Cakmakli, Turkey overseeing the removal of munitions, and served in this location for six months. He returned to his family in El Paso, Texas and retired from active duty at the rank of CW3(Chief Warrant Officer 03) in September, 1993.

Bill will be remembered for countless things: generosity to a fault; both to family and to charities of all kinds, his “do it yourself” attitude and handiness when it came to finding a solution to a problem presented, his indomitable spirit, and his above reproach honesty, integrity, moral courage, and work ethic were the stuff of legends. His family was his entire world; he gave of himself as much as he gave in worldly ways. Bill was a Sudoku Master, an expert puzzler, and never paused in his willingness to take care of anything needing taking care of. Bill Cosola was humble to a fault, had a heart of gold, and a temperament to be envied. He was an avid reader of all genre, and had a superior intellect and wit. He will be greatly missed, eternally loved, and respected forever by all who knew him.