August 4, 1920 - March 13, 2015 Burial Date: January 1, 1970 |
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William Newton (Bill) Brisley Bill passed away after a lengthy and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s and Cancer. Preceded in death: eldest son, William Brisley, Jr. (Sandra); brothers, Joseph, Robert (Margaret-D) and Newton (Judith-D) Brisley. Survived by wife, Charlotte; Bill was born in Duluth, MN and moved with family to Excelsior, MN in 1934. He graduated from high school in 1939. He was active in music, became an Eagle Scout, and was issued a Ham Radio license. He spent summers as a lifeguard at Lake Minnetonka. In 1937 he joined the National Guard. 1939 and 1940 he attended Dunwoody Institute. Called to active duty in January 1941, Bill started his military career in Camp Claiborne, LA. In December 1941 he was transferred to Northern Ireland where he was promoted to Staff Sergeant, then in October 1942 sent to Artillery School in Oklahoma. Commissioned to Lieutenant, in December 1942, he attended flying school in Texas and Oklahoma, then assigned to the 33rd Infantry Division, Mojave Desert, CA. The division transferred to Hawaii in June 1943 for more training including hydroplanes. In February 1944 to October 1945 the division was stationed in New Guinea, Dutch East Indies and the Philippines where he flew many missions over the jungles as a spotter. Bill was awarded the Silver Star and the Air Award. He was promoted to Captian in 1946. He was discharged from active service and retired in 1956 from the military. While in the service, he and Charlotte L. Froehlich were married January 9, 1943. Bill attended the U In retirement, he became deeply involved in several Ham Radio initiatives and made contacts with hundreds of other HR enthusiasts. Computers became popular and he taught himself to incorporate HR and computers. Bill was a talented musician, playing many instruments, including Jazz Guitar and the bagpipes. He was a member of Zuhrah Shrine Scottish and Brian Bill will be dearly missed by his family, though reunited in death with his oldest son, Billy, gone too Private Family Service. Correspondence may be sent in In lieu of flowers, donations preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org and the American Cancer Society. |