William G. Blue

LYNN -- William G. Blue, age 97, of Lynn, died at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, on May 12, 2018, as a result of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was born in Nashua, N.H., on July 24, 1920, the son of the late Gilbert and Blanche (Whittaker) Blue. William graduated from Tewksbury High School in 1938. As a young boy, he spent summers in Bar Mills, Maine, with his grandparents, William and Maude Whittaker. During his teen years he spent summers in Oxbow, New Brunswick, Canada, with his paternal grandmother, Edith Blue, and other relatives. In later years, he would relate many of the interesting experiences he had during his summer stays with relatives. After graduation from high school, he attended Lowell Commercial College and started a career working in the manufacturing sector, starting with textile mills along the Merrimack River. After the start of WWII, William enlisted in the Army. He eventually was selected for flight training with the Army Air Corp. After completion of flight training, he was sent overseas to join the 15th Air Force, at the Castelluccio Airfield in Italy. From this base he flew many missions, including missions in support of the D-day invasion, a mission for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, but primarily to industrial targets such as the oil fields of Ploesti. On his 27th mission, a raid on an oil refinery in Vienna, Austria, his plane was shot down over Hungary while returning to base. After bailing out of his disabled aircraft, he was immediately captured after his parachute became entangled in a tree while attempting to land. After a period of interrogation, he was transferred to Stalag Luft I, in Barth, Germany, where he spent the duration of the war. His POW camp was liberated by advancing Russian troops. Of all the medals and awards that he received during the war he was most appreciative of being admitted to the Caterpillar Club. Within a few years of returning from the war, William started a career with Champion Lamps Works in Lynn. He held several management positions with the company, including manager of the filament department and the specialty lamps department. Upon retiring he developed a small business marketing clocks and shadow boxes featuring the handmade trout and salmon flies that he tied. Soon after returning from the war, William met and married Magdelaine Trudeau. They lived in Tewksbury and then Billerica. Together, they had three children. Later in his life he married a co-worker from Champion Lamps, Anna Federico, and settled in Lynn. William participated in all of his high school's sports teams, and particularly enjoyed following all of the Boston sports teams. He enjoyed playing golf, tying flies and fly fishing. He also enjoyed cooking and going out to area restaurants for Saturday night dinner, or for a family get together. William was predeceased by his parents, Gilbert and Blanche Blue, and his siblings, Edith Blue, Alberta Blue, Frances (Blue) Smith, Louis Blue, and Isabel (Blue) Libby. He was also predeceased by his two wives. He is survived by his sister, Dorothy (Blue) McKay of Gloucester. He is also survived by his stepsons, James Roden of Arizona and Richard Chiaradonna of Florida; his daughter, Edith Blue of Massachusetts; and son William R. Blue of New Hampshire. Additionally, he is survived by three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and his many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank the VA Medical System for the outstanding care that William received during his period of declining health. Service information: A private graveside service will be held on Monday, May 21, 2018 at Tory Hill Cemetery, Buxton, Maine. Arrangements entrusted to SOLIMINE Funeral Homes, Lynn. Online guestbook at www.solimine.com.