William Daniel Aheron's Obituary
William Daniel Aheron, passed away on July 13, 2021, at the age of 101. He was a beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and great uncle. The oldest of eight children of the late Daniel and Bertha Aheron, Bill was born on May 29, 1920, in Spray, North Carolina. He attended Leaksville High School graduating in 1937, never once having been tardy or absent.
In 1941 at the age of 21, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Bill enlisted in the Army Air Force. Flying the B-17 Flying Fortress, Bill was in charge of his own flight crew at the age of 23. The Hell’s Chariot flew 25 missions in World War II. He was awarded four Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
In 1942, on what he described as “his lucky day,” Bill attended a U.S.O. luncheon in St. Louis, MO. It was there that he met a young Dottye Brazzell. Engaged in June of 1943, Bill and Dottye didn’t wed until after he returned from his first combat tour. He recalls seeing her for the first time upon his return the as, “a sight that he will always remember. This is what we have been fighting for all this time.”
They wed on April 20, 1944, in St. Louis, MO. They were married for just shy of 71 years.
But Bill’s service was not yet over. In June of 1950, he was called back to active duty for the Korean War. This time he was the Captain of “Aheron’s Able Assassinators” flying 27 missions on the B-29 Super Fortress. He returned home to his family in 1952 and spent the next thirty-four years working for Otis Elevators as a draftsman.
Bill was a masterful carpenter, mechanic, and engineer. He made furniture, built houses, and designed elevators. He flew planes, took photos, and tinkered with electronics. The story of Bill’s life was shaped by his love of flying. He flew is own plane for many years and was even able to take the controls of his last flight at the age of 99. For many years, Bill donated his time and expertise as the church handyman and a member of Hobby Crafters as one of the “elves” making handmade wood holiday toys for underprivileged children. Bill and Dottye were 50-year members of White Rock United Methodist Church where they served in a variety of leadership and fellowship roles. He truly was a member of the Greatest Generation.
Bill is survived by his daughter, Marthalee (Marti) Robertson; his grandchildren, Karen Robertson Duke, and her husband Tristan, and Scott Robertson and his wife Kim; and great-grandson Ryan Daniel Jones all of Dallas; his brother Wilfred Aheron and wife Ann of Rock Hill, SC as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. He is preceded in death by his wife, Dottye, his parents, and siblings Sunshine Hall, Gloria Robertson, Iris Earps, Havens Joyce, Bertilla “Tidge” Rudd, and George Aheron.
A memorial will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at White Rock United Methodist Church. For those choosing to honor Bill, his family encourages you to find a way to give back in your own community or to honor his work with a donation to Hobby Crafters at HobbyCrafters.org.
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