William ‘Bill’ Surline, died Thursday December 6, 2001, at the McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah. He was born 80 years ago on December 6, 1921, in Laramie, Wyoming to George and Ella (McCue) Surline.
He was raised with his three brothers and one sister in Laramie. He graduated from Laramie High and was attending the University of Wyoming when World War II broke out. He enlisted shortly after Pearl Harbor. He trained in a number of Army Air Corps fields and served overseas at Foggia, Italy. He was with the 463 Bomb Group as a crew scheduler and B-17 waist gunner.
While stationed at McDill Field in Tampa, Florida, he met Patricia Howard. They were married January 27, 1946. They made their home in Laramie where Bill worked with the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier. They had a son, Terry and a daughter, Sandy. In 1958, they moved to Rawlins, Wyoming where Bill was the assistant postmaster until he retired in 1976. He and Pat began touring the western United States and finally settled in Tucson, Arizona.
In 1996, Bill moved to Mountain Green, Utah to live with his daughter and her husband, Sandy and Gene Jones.
Bill loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing and anything to do with flying. He spent many years with the Civil Air Patrol in Search and Rescue and Civil Defense.
He is survived by one brother, Richard Surline of Rock Springs, Wyoming; one sister, Eleanor Van Valen of Powell, Wyoming; one daughter, Sandy Jones of Malad; four grandchildren, Sue McDonald of Aurora, Colorado; Mike Surline of Littleton, Colorado; Mark Pierson of Houston, Texas and Keith Pierson, currently attending Utah State University in Logan, Utah; and five great grandchildren.
He was proceeded in death by his parents; two brothers, Jack and George Surline; his wife, Pat; his son, Terry Surline; and a grandson, Rod Surline.
Funeral services are scheduled to be conducted Tuesday, December 11 in Laramie, Wyoming.