Clair "Bill" Billow

BILLOW Clair William "Bill" Nov. 14,1916-Apr. 8, 2008 Clair "Bill" Billow, 91, passed away on April 8th, 2008, at the home of his daughter, Jeanette Anne Billow, in Pembroke Pines, FL. The second of five children of William and Allie (Cotton) Billow, Clair was born in Fayette, Ohio on November 14, 1916. Raised on a farm during the Great Depression, Clair traveled to California and Florida with his Uncle Gus after graduating high school. With war breaking out across the globe, he joined the Navy and in January of 1941, he joined the crew of the USS Guadalupe (AO 32) as Radarman First Class. Clair spent most of WWII on the Guadalupe, a US Navy Fleet Oiler that was to participate in virtually every major Campaign of the war, fueling warships throughout the Pacific. He was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Campaign Ribbon, American Area Ribbon and the American Defense Service Medal. On May 27, 1946, Clair and the former Betty Anne House were married in St. Augustine, FL and spent 50 years together until her passing on August 15, 1996. Together, they raised two children, Michael William, and Jeanette Anne in Key West, Florida, where Clair had been sent by the General Electric Company to open a torpedo development and test facility. Although the assignment was initially intended to last only a few months, Clair continued to work at the GE facility for 19 years until they closed the labs and moved the operation to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Deciding to stay on the tropical island, Clair left GE and went to work with Naval Research Labs, where he worked as a Physical Metallurgist until his final retirement in 1987. From 1987 until his passing, Clair lived in Pembroke Pines, Florida, near his daughter. While in Key West, Clair (known on the island as "Bill") was a member of the First Methodist (Old Stone) Church; serving on the Official Board and Men's Club. He was also an active member of the local Lions Club and a former member of the American Legion in Florida. Clair is survived by his two children, Michael (Denise) Billow of Ashland, OH, and Jeanette Ann Billow, of Pembroke Pines, FL; one brother, Ralph (Juanita) Billow, of Fremont, OH; two sisters, Ruth Hawkins, of Youngstown, OH, and Mary Suffecool of Plain City, OH; two grandchildren, William (Amber) Billow of Imperial Beach, CA, and Kevin (Dagmara) Billow, of Union Beach, NJ; two great grandchildren, Julia Elizabeth Billow and Annabelle Laura Billow; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, their spouses and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Betty Anne Billow and brother, Wayne Billow, who was killed in action during the battle of Leyte Gulf in October of 1944. Visitation: Monday, April 14, 2008, from 9:00 am to 10:30 a.m. at Wonderly Horvath Hanes Funeral Home & Crematory, 425 E. State St, Fremont, OH. Service: Will follow Visitation at 10:30 a.m. at the Funeral Home, Pastor Randall Haase officiating. Burial: Oakwood Cemetery, Fremont, OH with Military Honors conducted by the American Legion and VFW. Memorials: Vitas Innovative Hospice Care, Team #149, 5420 NW 33rd Ave, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309. Online Condolence: www.wonderlyhorvath hanes.com