William Redding

William “Bill” Redding died serenely in his sleep on April 7, 2026. Bill was born on December 14,1947 to W. J. Redding and Erna (Broesel) Redding in Altoetting, (Bavaria), Germany, where his father was stationed in the Army after World War II. At an early age, Bill and his family returned to Ft. Bliss, Texas. Bill spent his youth growing up in North Carolina and Ansbach, Germany. His favorite memories were summers on his grandparents’ farm in Millboro, N. C. From 1966-1971, Bill did 2 tours of duty in Vietnam as an Army pilot flying the Cobra helicopter. He completed many Medevac rescues, often under harrowing conditions. An official Army account describes one such mission: “Warrant Officer Redding distinguished himself while serving as aircraft commander of a UH-1H helicopter flare ship assigned the mission of providing illumination for the extraction of a long-range reconnaissance patrol. With the weather conditions rapidly deteriorating, he took off and flew his aircraft at a low level to the area of operations through a torrential downpour of rain. Fully cognizant of the vital nature of his task in rescuing the six-man patrol, Warrant Officer Redding displayed a high degree of flying ability and courage as he successfully extracted the patrol. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.” Bill was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star for his bravery, along with many other commendations. After the war, he rarely spoke of his service, but records of his heroism were found after his passing. Bill completed his Commercial Photography degree in 1974 at Randolph Technical Institute. Soon after, he landed a job as a staff news photographer for The Raleigh News and Observer. In 1976, Bill moved from still photography to film—chasing news stories as a cameraman for WRAL TV5 in Raleigh. This was the beginning of a news career that Bill loved. After working at several local stations, he moved to Washington, DC in 1983 and worked for the ABC News Network until his retirement in 2013. During this time, Bill lived simply and happily, first on a boat on the Potomac River and later at a small house in Arlington, Virginia. Bill worked for many of the flagship shows at ABC, including World News Tonight and Good Morning America. He was particularly proud of his work with Ted Koppel and the Nightline team. Bill tapped into his own military experience as part of the Department of Defense Travel Pool, going around the world to many seminal events including: the US invasion of Grenada, the Panama Conflict, the devastating 1999 Turkey earthquake, the 1991 Gulf War, the uprising in Tiananmen Square, Hilary Clinton’s trip to Egypt and the Middle East, and Nightline’s trip to Russia – with extensive coverage of the country and Vladimir Putin. Bill received the Peabody Award and the Alfred I. Dupont Columbia University Award for coverage of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. He also received multiple Emmys for coverage of other news stories. It was when he was awarded a White House Photographer’s Award that Bill first met Liz Lokey. That event was the start of their decades-long life together. Bill moved to Kent Island, Maryland, in 2009, where he continued his love of “all things water” —kayaking, outrigger canoe and boating, plus enjoying the wildlife in the water and sunsets over it. Bill believed that you should “put a little bit of vacation into every day,” and he certainly did that. But, he was also a hard worker to the end—throwing himself into countless woodworking projects; learning how to weld so he could tinker with the classic cars he loved; and even rewiring the electricity in his home himself when he expanded it. Bill is survived by Liz Lokey, his partner of 40 years, sister Brigitte Hilberman (Mark), nieces Tania, Kasia, Rachael and Mika, and his nephew Josh. A Memorial Service and Military Funeral are planned for this summer and details will follow.

William Redding

December 14, 1947 - April 7, 2026