Wilmer (Bill) W. Whipple
Bill was born on a small farm in Omaha, IL on December 25, 1920. He died at home of congestive heart failure on May 7, 2011 with his wife and daughters by his side. Bill’s 90 years of life experiences have become a legacy to his family. A D-Day Invasion survivor, Bill gallantly served as a medic in the European Theater under General Patton’s Third Army. After his discharge, Bill proudly worked for the Tucker Automobile Company. Following the dissolution of Tucker, Bill drove across the country and settled in Seattle. In Washington, he started working for BOEING where he became a manager. After being set up on a blind date, he met his wife, Sue, and they were married March 5, 1971. After 32 years of loyalty to BOEING, Bill retired so he could spend time doing the things he enjoyed. Bill loved his family and the outdoors. He spent much of his life hunting, fishing, golfing, bowling and coaching his girls’ softball teams. Bill also devoted his time to numerous organizations. He was a member of the BOEING Management Association, a life member of Skyway VFW Post #9430, and a past-Master of the White Center Delta Masonic Lodge. In recent years, Bill served as Vice-President and on the Board of Directors of the Tucker Automobile Club of America. He was most proud of his time spent volunteering at the Public Information Center at Tahoma National Cemetery. Bill is survived by his wife, Sue; his daughters, Jan and Kris (Yokley); his son-in-law, Alex (Yokley); his grandchildren, Kaitlin and Connor (Yokley); his brother-in-law, Dick Schusler and a close knit group of friends. Services will be held on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at Marlatt Funeral Home, 713 Central Ave. N., Kent at 10 a.m. followed by a military service at Tahoma National Cemetery at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill’s memory to: Skyway VFW Post #9430, P.O. Box 78231, Seattle, WA 98178 or Tucker Automobile Club of America, 9509 Hinton Drive, Santee, CA 92071-2760. The family would love to hear stories or anecdotes about Bill. Please visit www.marlattfuneralhome.com to leave a note on the family’s memory page.
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