William Lee Childress
- Born: 11 Feb 1924, Bethany, Johnson County, Texas
- Died: 20 Sep 2011 at age 87
- Buried: 26 Sep 2011, Goldthwaite Memorial Cemetery, Goldthwaite, Mills County, Texas
General Notes:
William Lee Childress, affectionately known as "Captain Bill," passed away Sept. 20, 2011. He was 87 years of age.
Bill was born Feb. 11, 1924, at Bethany, Okla., where his grandfather was a founder of the Southern Nazarene University at Bethany. His father, Marvin Otis Childress, was a Methodist minister.
His family suffered all the miseries of the Great Depression. Bill recalled that it was important for the kids to find ways to earn money to help with the family needs.
Bill joined Continental Airlines in 1952 when its fleet consisted of DC-3s. From 1965 to 1968, Bill flew MAC flights, taking troops to Vietnam. Stops included the Philippines, Okinawa and Saigon. Bill's final routes were on the DC-10 which he flew from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, via Honolulu and Auckland, New Zealand. He retired at age 60, the FAA requirement.
Bill never lost his love for flying which he expresses in his autobiography, "Take Off Power." He said, "Flying has always been my life and always will be. And when it's my time to 'fly west,' you can bet I'll go with immense gratitude for having had the opportunity to live my dream."
Bill had many interests. Besides flying, he enjoyed sailing, golf, music, ham radio, fishing, reading, woodworking and spending time with family and friends
Services were held on Monday, Sept. 26, 2011, at Goldthwaite Memorial Cemetery, Texas.
Lakeview Funeral Home handled arrangements with Stacy-Wilkins Funeral Home, Goldthwaite, Texas.
~ Bonner County Daily Bee.com
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