William Charles Alexander

Visitation will be 9:00am-11:00am, Tuesday, July 5, 2016, at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Funeral services will follow at 11:00am in the funeral home chapel with interment in Floral Hills Memory Gardens.

Bill was born in Cambridge, Ohio, the son of the late Thomas Edward Alexander and Mary Fordyce Alexander.

A World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy, Bill served as a pilot, and flew reconnaissance for the naval patrol frigate, USS Annapolis.

Bill married the love of his life, Marie Wachter Thompson, on July 3, 1981. They would have been married 35 years this Sunday.

He retired after a 30 year career as an aeronautical engineer with the Goodyear Aerospace Corporation. At Goodyear, Bill was a member of the design team which created the parachute for the first space shuttle, and he worked to develop a patent for the bearings of landing gear for commercial jets.

Bill's service as a naval pilot were some of his proudest days. He loved to share his experiences and love of planes with the younger generation. His grandchildren flew and built lots of planes together.

He was a faithful member of Pearson Baptist Church in Pearl where he sang in the choir for many years. His hobbies included woodworking and music.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Mary Cullison.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Marie; sons, Peter Alexander, and Tony Thompson; daughters, Charlotte Alexander and husband Tom, and Penny McElroy and husband Thomas; son-in-law, Tom Cullison; and grandchildren, Abigail and Hannah Alexander, Gracie and Elizabeth Cullison, Trey and Jennifer Alexander, and Logan and Sarah Beth McElroy.