Virgil William Ethridge passed away peacefully in his sleep at Aegis Lodge in Kirkland, Wash., on April 20 at the age of 91.
Bill was born April 14, 1923, in Baden Baden (Millersburg), Ill., to George and Selma Ethridge.
Shortly after graduating from high school, Bill and two friends left Illinois and made their way to Los Angeles, where he found work at the Lockheed Aircraft plant.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in late 1942 and was posted as an aviation cadet to LaGrande, Ore., in 1943.
Here he met Mary Wagner and they were married shortly thereafter in Albuquerque, N.M. In August of 1944, Bill was deployed to England as a B-17 bombardier and his crew was shot down on just their third mission.
He was a POW for nearly nine months, and was freed by the advance of Patton’s tank corps through Germany.
Upon his return to civilian life, Bill attended and graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in engineering.
He became a facilities engineer for Continental Can, National Can, Tektronix and retired in 1978 as the maintenance manager for the Portland School District.
In 1979, Bill and Mary moved from Vancouver, Wash., to Whidbey Island, building their dream home on Scenic Heights Drive.
Always eager to travel, the couple enjoyed many years of seeing parts of the U.S., Canada and Mexico by motor home and attending Elder Hostel programs in various countries.
Bill became involved in Kiwanis and through that organization was instrumental in founding the Whidbey Island Jazz Festival.
In 2001, Bill and Mary helped spearhead an effort to create an Island County Veteran’s Memorial, which now stands at the Coupeville Law and Justice Center.
In 2005, they moved to the Captain Kinney House in Coupeville, where they greatly enjoyed the camaraderie of their close-knit neighborhood. Mary passed away in January of 2013.
Bill is survived by his brother, Carroll (wife Loretta); sister, Betty Lou (husband Don); daughter, Linda Caton (husband John); son, Doug (wife Sue); grandchildren, Alex Caton and Nick Caton (wife Julie); and great-granddaughter, Kaeldra Caton.
Memorial gifts in Bill’s name are welcomed to Friends of Ebey’s, friendsofebeys.org
The community is invited to a celebration of life for both Bill and Mary Ethridge 2:30-4 p.m. Saturday, May 24 at the Nordic Lodge, 63 Jacobs Road, Coupeville.
