William Oldham

William R. "Will" Oldham, 80, of The Villages, Fla., passed away Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011, at the home of a son, James.

Prior to living at The Villages the past 12 months, Will and Dee were 45-year residents of Arlington, Va.

Will was born March 5, 1930, in Cape Girardeau, to Charles and Helen McElreath Oldham. He and Eula Lee "Dee" Johnson were married Jan. 20, 1951, in Cape Girardeau.

He was raised in great part by his maternal grandparents, William and Louisa Cunningham McElreath, on the Southeast Missouri State University Farm.

Will attended Southeast two years, and then earned a civil engineering degree from Missouri School of Mines in Rolla, Mo. He later obtained a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

Will was an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, serving during the Korean conflict and attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.

Most of his career he worked in a civilian capacity for the Department of the U.S. Army. His most esteemed accomplishment was his involvement with the research and development of a military aircraft maintenance program.

In 1966, while at Fort Rucker, Ala., it was decided that this maintenance program would be adopted throughout the armed services, and this exciting announcement spurred the family's move to Arlington. Will continued working for the U.S. Army Material Command as a logistical engineer until his retirement in 1984.

After retirement, both Will and Dee became licensed massage therapists in Arlington and for 20 years ran a thriving home business in specialized kinesiology.

Will loved music and enjoyed playing in his high school and college bands. He also participated in the college orchestra and was a member of the church choir. Later in life he was a bass drummer and a bagpiper for the Northern Virginia Firefighters Emerald Society Pipe Band. Both Will and Dee sang with Mosaic Harmony Choir of the greater Washington, D.C., area.

He was a Christian by faith, having been raised mostly in Baptist and Methodist churches. He became a member of Unity Church of Fairfax, Va., in 1983.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Dee; four sons, Thomas (Kathryn) Oldham of Elkins, W.Va., James (Mary Jane) Oldham of The Villages, William Jr. (Brenda) Oldham of Westminster, Md., Steven (Millie) Oldham of Bradenton, Fla.; two brothers, Glenn (Susie) Oldham of Jackson, Jimmy (Verla) Oldham of Oak Ridge; a sister, Patricia (Larry) Stearns of Forsythe, Mo.; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son, Herbert (1951-1957); and his parents.

A celebration of Will's life was held March 5 at Unity Church of The Villages.

Memorials are suggested to Unity of Fairfax or Unity of The Villages.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.

Local announcement by McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.