William Bingham

BINGHAM, William Harrison, 88, passed away on February 15, 2010, 65 years to the day after first meeting his wife. He was born in Richmond on March 19, 1921, son of the late Lucien Warner Bingham and Mary Saville Bingham. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Alma Newell Bingham; his daughters, Kathryn Gorman and her husband, Richard F. Gorman III, of Richmond and Susan Mickey and her husband, John E. Mickey, of Clemmons, North Carolina; three grandchildren, Michael Davis Gorman and William Bingham Gorman of Richmond and Sarah Hollis Mickey of Clemmons, North Carolina and Providence, Rhode Island; his sister, Mary Keith Hinshelwood of Richmond; and his brother, Charles S. Bingham of Largo, Florida. Bill was an Eagle Scout, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, and received his degree in chemistry from the University of Richmond. He was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific in World War II aboard the carrier USS Wasp (CV-18) as a dive bomber and fighter pilot with Dive Bomber Squadron 14 (VB-14). He fought in all the major campaigns of 1944-45, including the Marianas campaign and the liberation of the Philippines. He married in 1945, and in 1946 he brought his bride back to Richmond and joined his father in business at Bingham Truck Service. Upon his father's retirement, he took the sales department and formed his own company, Bingham GMC Trucks. He served as treasurer of the Virginia Highway Users for many years and on the General Motors Dealer Council. He stayed in the Navy Reserve, and led his squadron in Norfolk during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He retired as Commander in 1964. He loved all airplanes and enjoyed his naval career. He was president of the Richmond Jaycees, 1956-1957, the Richmond First Club, 1974-1975, and was chairman of the Community Chest. He served on the board of the Richmond Cerebral Palsy Center for many years, the Richmond Automobile Dealers Association, on the board of the University of Richmond Alumni Association, and as a Sunday School teacher and deacon at the River Road Church, Baptist. He was a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club of Richmond, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Historical Society, and was a volunteer at the Virginia Aviation Museum. He and Alma traveled the world and enjoyed great adventures. His favorite trip was when they flew an antique Stearman biplane from Kansas City to Richmond. He was a Virginia gentleman and a proud American. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to River Road Church, Baptist, 8000 River Road, Richmond, Va. 23229. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 2010 at River Road Church, Baptist. His family will receive friends at the church following the service.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.