Welcome to our memorial page in partnership with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) for William "Bill" Lathrop. Your memorial gift will support life-changing programs that empower, employ, and engage America’s injured veterans. Warriors and their families will never pay a penny for these services.
A Little story about Bill Lathrop:
William G. Lathrop (Bill) passed from this earth into Heaven on April 19th 2020, at the age of 95, surrounded by his loving family He is finally reunited with his wife of 63 years, Opal, lovingly referred to as the “Prettiest Girl in Taney County”. Bill is preceded in death by his mother and father and 4 siblings. He is survived by his four children, William B Lathrop (Sheila), Brent P Lathrop (Sue), Sheryll R McClenny (Don) and Tamara J McPhail (Preston) and 17 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.
Bill retired from Boeing with nearly 40 years of service. At retirement, he was the Factory Superintendent over the 707, 727, 737, 747, 757 and 767 programs. After retirement he went on to become a sheet metal instructor at the Wichita Area Technical College where he took great joy in training the next generation of Boeing mechanics. He was a member of the Riverlawn Christian Church for 50+ years and a 32nd Degree Shriner. Bill was very proud to be an American and served his country in the Air Force during World War II. He was the Engineer on a B-17 Bomber, The Lady Anne. His crew flew 34 combat missions over Nazi occupied France and Germany. For his service he was awarded many medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, World War II Victory medal, and the Knight of the Legion of Honor medal from the people of France and Western Europe, France’s equivalent to the U.S. Medal of Honor.
Bill was an avid gardener. He made sure that his family and friends always understood that the first four rows of anything that he planted and harvested were “God’s Rows” and were destined for the Wichita Food Bank. Bill Loved to travel and go see air shows with his grandson, fish with his sons and grandkids. Opal and Bill traveled in an RV to see family throughout their retirement years. He was a skilled carpenter, making project around the house and for all his family. He was a great chef, making up big fried chicken dinners, fried fish, pancakes, and good old biscuits and gravy. He was a family man, always making sure we all felt special in his own way. He had a love that we all could admire and never knew a stranger. Above all else, he was a Godly man, involved in his church, read his bible every night, and showed such kindness and devotion we all could admire.
The family will have a private graveside service only in accordance with Covid 19 guidelines. In lieu of flowers, the family has established a memorial with the Wounded Warriors Project.
