William Kruckemeyer, Jr. obituary: William Kruckemeyer, Jr.'s Obituary, Dayton
In Memory Of
William "Bill" Kruckemeyer, Jr.
1947 - 2016
In Memory Of
William "Bill" Kruckemeyer, Jr.
1947 - 2016
William C. “Bill” Kruckemeyer Jr., a Vietnam veteran, age 69, passed away on Thursday, September 15, 2016 from suspected effects of Agent Orange. Much heartfelt thanks go to the many Dayton VA Medical Center’s compassionate, caring medical, nursing and support staff who supported Bill through his numerous hospitalizations over the past seven years as his terminal illness of sarcoidosis slowly took away his health and life. Bill was born on July 2, 1947 in St. Louis to the late William and Lorraine Kruckemeyer. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Margaret Kruckemeyer RN; brother, Joe Kruckemeyer of Joplin, MO; step-mother, Helen Kruckemeyer of Springfield, MO; mother-in-law, Melvina Jo Walters of St. Louis, MO, and sister-in-law; Linda L. Maurer of Washington CH, OH.
Bill entered military service by joining the University of Missouri at Rolla, MO’s ROTC program in 1965 attaining his pilot’s license and rising to the rank of cadet LTC within Pershing Rifles’ unit while attaining his degree in mechanical engineering. During his eight years of service (1970-1978), he served as an U.S. Army aviation maintenance officer/test pilot rising to the level of senior aviator and was awarded the Bronze Star. Not only did he rescue shot down helicopter crews in Vietnam, he also was the main pilot who served during Ohio’s great 1978 blizzard in air rescue when U.S. Army support was emergently needed. Upon his arrival to Dayton to start a 30 year engineering career with Delphi Chassis, first in test engineering, then 16 years later as a senior project’s engineer, he also used his love of flying by sharing his talents and skills by serving as a private instrument flight instructor, back up helicopter pilot to WHIO’s former Chopper 7 news service, and volunteer for the American Veteran’s Heritage Center’s flying and technical support activities.
Bill’s friends best remember him as a tall, strong, humble guy who dedicated his life to service to his church, veterans caring activities, and his research development work for Delphi Chasis. After being inducted into Delphi’s Inventor Hall of Fame in 2000, the Affiliate Societies Council of the Engineering Science Foundation of Dayton, The Dayton Foundation, honored him on Feb 21, 2002 with their Outstanding Professional Achievement Award for his “professional accomplishment and enhancing the stature of the engineering and scientific professions”. Prior to his enforced retirement in 2009, Bill was recognized for the creation and development/implementation of 75 US Patents and nearly 50 trade secrets for Delphi.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on October 8, 2016 at the historic landmark, Home’s Protestant Chapel at the Dayton VA Medical Center Campus, 4100 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45428. A committal service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 10, 2016 at Dayton National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.americanveteransheritage.org (AVHC P.O. Box 28098 Dayton, OH 45428) or Dayton VA Medical Center Hospice program, Building 320, 4100 West Third St. Dayton, OH 45428.
Bill entered military service by joining the University of Missouri at Rolla, MO’s ROTC program in 1965 attaining his pilot’s license and rising to the rank of cadet LTC within Pershing Rifles’ unit while attaining his degree in mechanical engineering. During his eight years of service (1970-1978), he served as an U.S. Army aviation maintenance officer/test pilot rising to the level of senior aviator and was awarded the Bronze Star. Not only did he rescue shot down helicopter crews in Vietnam, he also was the main pilot who served during Ohio’s great 1978 blizzard in air rescue when U.S. Army support was emergently needed. Upon his arrival to Dayton to start a 30 year engineering career with Delphi Chassis, first in test engineering, then 16 years later as a senior project’s engineer, he also used his love of flying by sharing his talents and skills by serving as a private instrument flight instructor, back up helicopter pilot to WHIO’s former Chopper 7 news service, and volunteer for the American Veteran’s Heritage Center’s flying and technical support activities.
Bill’s friends best remember him as a tall, strong, humble guy who dedicated his life to service to his church, veterans caring activities, and his research development work for Delphi Chasis. After being inducted into Delphi’s Inventor Hall of Fame in 2000, the Affiliate Societies Council of the Engineering Science Foundation of Dayton, The Dayton Foundation, honored him on Feb 21, 2002 with their Outstanding Professional Achievement Award for his “professional accomplishment and enhancing the stature of the engineering and scientific professions”. Prior to his enforced retirement in 2009, Bill was recognized for the creation and development/implementation of 75 US Patents and nearly 50 trade secrets for Delphi.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on October 8, 2016 at the historic landmark, Home’s Protestant Chapel at the Dayton VA Medical Center Campus, 4100 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45428. A committal service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 10, 2016 at Dayton National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.americanveteransheritage.org (AVHC P.O. Box 28098 Dayton, OH 45428) or Dayton VA Medical Center Hospice program, Building 320, 4100 West Third St. Dayton, OH 45428.
William C. “Bill” Kruckemeyer Jr., a Vietnam veteran, age 69, passed away on Thursday, September 15, 2016 from suspected effects of Agent Orange. Much heartfelt thanks go to the many Dayton VA Medical Center’s compassionate, caring medical, nursing and support staff who supported Bill through his numerous hospitalizations over the past seven years as his terminal illness of sarcoidosis slowly took away his health and life. Bill was born on July 2, 1947 in St. Louis to the late William and Lorraine Kruckemeyer. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Margaret Kruckemeyer RN; brother, Joe Kruckemeyer of Joplin, MO; step-mother, Helen Kruckemeyer of Springfield, MO; mother-in-law, Melvina Jo Walters of St. Louis, MO, and sister-in-law; Linda L. Maurer of Washington CH, OH.
Bill entered military service by joining the University of Missouri at Rolla, MO’s ROTC program in 1965 attaining his pilot’s license and rising to the rank of cadet LTC within Pershing Rifles’ unit while attaining his degree in mechanical engineering. During his eight years of service (1970-1978), he served as an U.S. Army aviation maintenance officer/test pilot rising to the level of senior aviator and was awarded the Bronze Star. Not only did he rescue shot down helicopter crews in Vietnam, he also was the main pilot who served during Ohio’s great 1978 blizzard in air rescue when U.S. Army support was emergently needed. Upon his arrival to Dayton to start a 30 year engineering career with Delphi Chassis, first in test engineering, then 16 years later as a senior project’s engineer, he also used his love of flying by sharing his talents and skills by serving as a private instrument flight instructor, back up helicopter pilot to WHIO’s former Chopper 7 news service, and volunteer for the American Veteran’s Heritage Center’s flying and technical support activities.
Bill’s friends best remember him as a tall, strong, humble guy who dedicated his life to service to his church, veterans caring activities, and his research development work for Delphi Chasis. After being inducted into Delphi’s Inventor Hall of Fame in 2000, the Affiliate Societies Council of the Engineering Science Foundation of Dayton, The Dayton Foundation, honored him on Feb 21, 2002 with their Outstanding Professional Achievement Award for his “professional accomplishment and enhancing the stature of the engineering and scientific professions”. Prior to his enforced retirement in 2009, Bill was recognized for the creation and development/implementation of 75 US Patents and nearly 50 trade secrets for Delphi.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on October 8, 2016 at the historic landmark, Home’s Protestant Chapel at the Dayton VA Medical Center Campus, 4100 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45428. A committal service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 10, 2016 at Dayton National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.americanveteransheritage.org (AVHC P.O. Box 28098 Dayton, OH 45428) or Dayton VA Medical Center Hospice program, Building 320, 4100 West Third St. Dayton, OH 45428.
Bill entered military service by joining the University of Missouri at Rolla, MO’s ROTC program in 1965 attaining his pilot’s license and rising to the rank of cadet LTC within Pershing Rifles’ unit while attaining his degree in mechanical engineering. During his eight years of service (1970-1978), he served as an U.S. Army aviation maintenance officer/test pilot rising to the level of senior aviator and was awarded the Bronze Star. Not only did he rescue shot down helicopter crews in Vietnam, he also was the main pilot who served during Ohio’s great 1978 blizzard in air rescue when U.S. Army support was emergently needed. Upon his arrival to Dayton to start a 30 year engineering career with Delphi Chassis, first in test engineering, then 16 years later as a senior project’s engineer, he also used his love of flying by sharing his talents and skills by serving as a private instrument flight instructor, back up helicopter pilot to WHIO’s former Chopper 7 news service, and volunteer for the American Veteran’s Heritage Center’s flying and technical support activities.
Bill’s friends best remember him as a tall, strong, humble guy who dedicated his life to service to his church, veterans caring activities, and his research development work for Delphi Chasis. After being inducted into Delphi’s Inventor Hall of Fame in 2000, the Affiliate Societies Council of the Engineering Science Foundation of Dayton, The Dayton Foundation, honored him on Feb 21, 2002 with their Outstanding Professional Achievement Award for his “professional accomplishment and enhancing the stature of the engineering and scientific professions”. Prior to his enforced retirement in 2009, Bill was recognized for the creation and development/implementation of 75 US Patents and nearly 50 trade secrets for Delphi.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on October 8, 2016 at the historic landmark, Home’s Protestant Chapel at the Dayton VA Medical Center Campus, 4100 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45428. A committal service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 10, 2016 at Dayton National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.americanveteransheritage.org (AVHC P.O. Box 28098 Dayton, OH 45428) or Dayton VA Medical Center Hospice program, Building 320, 4100 West Third St. Dayton, OH 45428.
Services & Gatherings
Memorial Service
Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 2:00pm
Home’s Protestant Chapel at the Dayton VA Medical Center Campus, 4100 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45428
Beavercreek Chapel (937-429-4700) is assisting the family
Beavercreek Chapel (937-429-4700) is assisting the family