William L. Scatchard

1923 - 2015

William L Scatchard, longtime resident of San Diego, died on March 24, 2015, peacefully at home at the age of 91. "Scatch" was born in Chester, PA, in 1923 but moved to Glendale, CA, with his family in 1936 when his father took the position of western regional sales manager for the Wrigley Gum Co. Bill graduated Glendale High School in 1938, then, after working for Wrigley Gum for a spell himself, entered USC in 1941. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, where he met many friends who ended up lasting a lifetime.
Within a short span, however, his life changed for the worse with the onset of WWII. After changing studies from business to military subjects, it was but six months later that his civilian days ended and he was ordered to report to the USS Joe Campbell in the Brooklyn Naval shipyard. He spent the next 20 months of his life at sea, mainly in the Pacific.
After the war, Scatch moved back to California with his bride, Mary White, whom he had married in February 1944, and finished up at USC. They lived in a suburb of Los Angeles now known as Pico Riviera where they raised a family of three. Bill returned to work for Wrigley Gum at that time but the job eventually fizzled, and in 1957 he resigned and began work with Weber Company. He and Mary divorced in 1963. He married Peg Wilder in 1964.
After the Weber Company, Bill landed at Lundia Myers Industries where he steadily moved up the ladder and eventually attained the position of President and CEO. This required a relocation to Illinois which he and Peg accepted. They lived there for 13 years before retirement came around in 1986 and they moved back to California, this time to San Diego.
Since then, Scatch enjoyed a long retirement, keeping busy visiting his beloved Napili Kai Beach Resort, traveling the world on the Crystal Cruise and Royal Viking Lines, playing golf and his life-long passion – poker with his USC frat buddies.
Scatch was predeceased by his wife, Peg, in 2008. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Melnyczenko of Port Townsend, WA; son, Bill (Viki) of Nevada City, CA; daughter, Betsy (Tomas) Restad of Simlangsdalen, Sweden; his wife's children, Bunny (Kirby) Wilder of Garberville, CA, Molly (David) Schulz, and Jenny (Randy) Wisnoski of Oceanside, CA; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 2, 2015, at 11 a.m., at Rancho Bernardo Presbyterian Church, 17010 Pomerado Rd., San Diego, CA 92128.