William Allen Roseberry

Roseberry, William Allen USAF
MSGT William Allen Roseberry ("Bill") USAF (RET) of Glendale, AZ, (91) died peacefully after a long illness on July 17, 2011. Bill was born on September 30, 1919 in Akron, OH. He spent his youth there and at the family farm near Point Pleasant, WV. On October 19, 1996 he was preceded into heaven by his wife of 52 years, Dorothy Jean Madlinger, of St. Louis, MO. He is survived by his daughter LilyAnn Osuna and his son Michael; son-in-law Ramon Osuna and daughter-in-law Nancy Roseberry. He has 6 grandchilden Leslie, Holt her husband Tim, Porfirio, Dana, Bethany and Stephanie. He has 4 great-grandchilden, Dorothy (6),Emma Jean (5) William (3) and Patrick ( 6 mos.). Bill was an American patriot, whose ancestors served in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. In his words, "I lived a great adventure." Bill began serving his country at the age of 15 (he "fudged" his age to help his family financially during the depression) by joining the C.M.T.C. (R.O.T.C). In 1937 he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. On October 1939 he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and completed combat infantry training. He was assigned to Hickham Field, Hawaii where he completed aircraft maintenance training and was assigned to maintain WW II fighter planes at Wheeler Air Field in Hawaii. On December 7, 1941 at Wheeler Field he survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the next 4 years of WWII, Bill went on to meritoriously serve at Guatalcanal, the Solomon Islands and the Bismarck Islands campaigns in the central Pacific theatre. For his duty at Pearl Harbor and the 3 islands' campaigns he received 4 Bronze Star citations. During WW II he came to love maintaining P-38 and P-40 fighter airplanes. After WW II he returned and married Dorothy. In the late 1940s LilyAnn was born and he was stationed in Alaska . During 1952-53 he served in the Korea War maintaining F-84 Thunderbolt and F-86 Saber fighter jets. He survived that war then served a tour in Japan. After the Korean War he returned to raise his family and begin his college education. Bill received a Bachelors degree from Purdue University and a Masters in Education degree from Arizona State University. In 1961 Bill ended his 22 year U.S. Air Force career and retired as as a F-100 Super Sabre fighter jet maintenance crew chief at Luke A.F.B . Bill, always a life-long learner, then began his teaching career at Purdue University. He said that teaching at his alma mater was his proudest moment in education. He also taught at Cortez High School and Moon Valley High School in Phoenix and Glendale Community College in Glendale. Bill was a life-long model airplane builder, competitive flyer and motor cycle enthusiast. The joys of his life were building and flying model airplanes with Michael and many friends, then having morning coffee and a donut with LilyAnn. Bill had a brilliant and inquisitive mind and enjoyed engaging people in conversations. It was his way of learning from others and passing on his knowledge and wisdom to them. At the age of 89 he was still tutoring students. In his last years he talked endlessly about his family, its geneology, and his military career and adventures. In the past year, regardless of the conversations they all ended with his love of his family and his military memories. Those memories can be summarized by "I was a soldier once, and young." "Pop", you left your family your legacy as a member of the "Greatest Generation". We will never forget what you and your fellow soldiers, airmen/airwomen, Marines and sailors did for us. We miss you already. At Bill's request, a private family service was held. Condolences may be made at www.chapelofthechimesmortuary.com