William Pfleeger

William Pfleeger (Bill) of Easton, MD, died peacefully at Shore Regional Hospital on Christmas Day 2015. He was a remarkable 94 year-old man, still living independently in the home he shared with his beloved wife, Addie (Dimples) until she predeceased him in 2010. Bill was born in Norwalk, CT, on May 29, 1921, to the late Helen and William Pfleeger. In 1932, he moved with his family to City Island, NY, and attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before enlisting in the Naval Flight School at Pensacola, FL, during World War II. By 1943, Bill was on his way to the South Pacific as the pilot of a PBY Catalina or “Black Cat” which was an amphibious aircraft used for patrol bombing and air sea rescue. His Squadron VP34 entered the thick of the war and played a significant part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Bill came home with several citations including a Presidential citation and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He married his Dimples, the love of his life, on January 29, 1945, and began working for the Penn Dixie Cement Corporation in Manhattan. In 1972 they moved to Chicago, IL, with the Marquette Cement Corporation until their headquarters moved to Nashville, TN, where Bill became President and CEO in 1980. Prompted by childhood memories of summers on the Chesapeake, they retired to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1983 after the merger of Marquette Cement Corporation and Lone Star Industries. They built their dream house and spent many happy years exploring the beautiful Chesapeake on a succession of boats called the “Dimples.” In 1997, Bill’s wife had a stroke which changed the quality of their lives. He devoted himself completely to her care until the end. His last five years alone demonstrated Bill’s strength & resilience. After surviving a significant cardiac event at age 90, he gave up smoking, regained his health, and traveled to visit family on both coasts. Bill was the family patriarch and ever present for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who adored him. He was a true example of the “Greatest Generation.” He is survived by his two children, Candace A. Taubner and husband Frank of Pelham Manor, NY, and William J. E. Pfleeger and wife Jennifer of Kelso, Washington; four grandchildren, Frank K. Taubner, Julie A. Taubner, William W. Pfleeger and Larissa A. Ritzman; and five great-grandchildren, Jack F. Taubner, Lyla J. Mc Entee, William J. Pfleeger, Gavin R. Pfleeger and Maddox H. Pfleeger. A chapel service for the family will be held at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Westchester County, NY.

William Pfleeger

May 29, 1921 - December 25, 2015