William G. Lathrop

William G. Lathrop, 95, passed from this earth into Heaven on April 19, 2020, surrounded by his loving family. He is finally reunited with his wife of 63 years, Opal, lovingly referred to as the "Prettiest Girl in Taney County."

Bill is preceded in death by his mother and father and 4 siblings. He is survived by his four children, William B. (Sheila) Lathrop, Brent P. (Sue) Lathrop, Sheryll R. (Don) McClenny, Tamara J. (Preston) McPhail, brother Clifford Marler, and 17 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Bill retired from Boeing with nearly 40 years of service. At retirement, he was the Factory Superintendent over the 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, and 767 programs. After retirement he went on to become a sheet metal instructor at the Wichita Area Technical College where he took great joy in training the next generation of Boeing mechanics. He was a member of the Riverlawn Christian Church for 50+ years and a 32nd Degree Shriner.

Bill was very proud to be an American and served his country in the Air Force during World War II. He was the Engineer on a B-17 Bomber, The Lady Anne. His crew flew 34 combat missions over Nazi occupied France and Germany. For his service he was awarded many medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, World War II Victory medal, and the Knight of the Legion of Honor medal from the people of France and Western Europe, France's equivalent to the U.S. Medal of Honor.

Bill was an avid gardener. He made sure that his family and friends always understood that the first four rows of anything that he planted and harvested were "God's Rows" and were destined for the Wichita Food Bank.

The family will have a private graveside service only in accordance with the Covid 19 guidelines. In lieu of flowers, the family has established a memorial with the Wounded Warriors Project. Any donations may be sent to the following address: Wounded Warriors Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675 in honor of William G Lathrop or by going to the following link: https://communityfundraising.woundedwarriorproject.org/campaign/William--Bill--Lathrop