William A. (Bill) Francis of Pinewild NC passed away peacefully on 7/31, at FirstHealth Hospice in West End, NC, while surrounded by his loving family.
A small private service will be held at a later date for family members.
Born in Asbury Park NJ, Oct. 2, 1930, Bill was a 1949 graduate of Asbury Park High School, where he exceled in Baseball. He then joined the US Air Force, and served in Korea during the Korean War as a Crew Chief repairing airborne gun laying radars and electronic gunsights on jet fighters. Bill was awarded four Service and Conduct Medals. After his honorable discharge he returned to New Jersey where he met the love of his life, Jacqueline Rose Haley. He graduated from the Newark College of Engineering with a B.S.E.E. and they wed on June 15, 1957.
Bill worked at Philco in Willow Grove PA designing and supporting NORAD Radar systems, before helping Philco to develop their first fully transistorized digital computer. He returned to Fair Haven NJ in 1965 to run the Shore Insurance Agency in Keyport NJ.
In 1993, Bill and Jackie retired to Pinehurst NC. He served as a volunteer at three Men’s and one Women’s US Open in Pinehurst, and was the scorer at many smaller events. Until 2017, he worked as a Starter and Ranger at Pinehurst 7.
He is preceded in death by his Parents Clarence and Josephine, Sisters Josephine Hayes (Bob), Helen Burke (Woodrow) and Virginia Forsythe (Bud), and survived by his loving wife Jackie, daughters Sharon Boudreau (Dave) of Worthington, OH, Susan Williams (Jimmie) of Mt Pleasant SC, son Bill (Donna) Fair Haven NJ, Grandchildren Benjamin and Patrick Boudreau, Chelsea and Hunter Williams, Josie and William Francis, and several Nieces and Nephews.
In lieu of flowers please donate in Bill’s memory to the Red Bank Kitchen at https://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/jbj-soul-kitchen-red-bank or Lunch Break at http://www.lunchbreak.org or the First Health Hospice https://www.firsthealth.org/foundation-of-firsthealth.
Services are entrusted to Boles funeral Home of Pinehurst.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of William Alfred Francis, please visit Boles’ Tribute Store.
Online condolences: BolesFuneralHome.com.
