William Heath Cather

Only child of Alonzo Heath Cather and Jennie Pearl Johnson Cather. He was born in Birmingham and raised in Norwood next door to the Carraway boys. As a teenager he moved to Malaga Avenue in the Hollywood section of Homewood where he attended Shades Cahaba High School. He was an outstanding athlete for Coach "Piggy" Mitchell. He started at quarterback and shortstop for three years and was a third team "all state" quarterback his senior year. He attended the U of Ala and played on the freshman football team and joined Chi Phi fraternity. After the war he played in the Industrial Baseball League for Bradford Mine and played 3rd base for the Anniston Rams semi pro team in 1940 where he was one of only 3 out of 23 players with no professional experience.

He joined the army in early 1941 and went through B-25 pilot training before deploying to New Guinea in May 1943. He was one of the few "flying sergeants" who was allowed into pilot school and he quickly rose to the rank of Captain. During his nine months as a member of the 501st "Black Panther" squadron of the 345th Bomb Group he flew 51 combat missions and 300 combat hours . He earned a Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster.

Bill was the author of THE GUNFIGHT AT RABAUL, the definitive account of the unescorted raid by B-25 strafers of the 345th Bomb Group on the Japanese stronghold of the Southwest Pacific at Rabaul, New Britain on October 18, 1943. He also spoke and wrote on the participation of Homewood, Alabama veterans in WWII.

After the war he joined A. H. Cather Publishing Company, the family printing business that was begun by his grandfather in Cherokee County in 1860, then moved to Ashville, Al. In 1866 and then to Birmingham in 1913. He began as a Linotype operator and was a 60 year member of the ITU. He grew the company into a major printer for the Federal Government and retired in 2005.

In 1942 he married Virginia Kimble Ritchie and they had two sons; William Heath Cather, Jr. (Mia) and James Patrick Cather; three grandchildren, Heath Cather (Jennifer), Robbie Cather (Rachelle) and Anna McClendon (Ryan); and six great grandchildren, Matthew and Megan Cather, Daniel and David Cather and William and Virginia McClendon, all of whom survive him.

Virginia died in 1989 and in 2001 he married Dorothy Farmer for a few more wonderful years before she passed in 2004.

Bill joined Trinity Methodist Church in 1938 and was on the Board of Stewards for many years. He was one of the founders of the Homewood Little League in the early 50's and was a 50+ year member of the Homewood Lions Club. He was a First Class Scout and his father was the Committee Chairman in Troop 82 at the original Canterbury Methodist Church on Hollywood Blvd.

The family wishes to thank all of the wonderful nurses at AlaCare Hospice Care, Brookdale Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing unit for the attention they gave him. In place of flowers please make a donation to the Community Foundation of Birmingham, 2100 First Avenue North 35201.

The service will be on Thursday, May 5th at Trinity Methodist Church on Oxmoor Road at 11:00 am preceded by a visitation from 10:00 to 11:00. Interment will immediately follow at Elmwood.

Arrangements under the direction of Ridout's Valley Chapel, Homewood, AL.