Wilbert Charles “Bill” Luedtke passed away peacefully at his residence on April 25, 2016 in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Bill was born on November 24, 1923 in Neenah, Wisconsin to the late Charles and Ella Luedtke.
He is survived by his wife Helen, daughter, Helen Zachry (Jerry) of Clarksville, sons, Bruce Luedtke of Oshkosh, WI, James Luedtke (LuAnn) of Lilburn, GA, William Luedtke (Tracy) of Beaver Dam, VA, sister, Eileen Butt of Springfield, IL, and grandchildren, Erich Luedtke, Jenna Haslup, Elizabeth Zachry, Parker and Jordan Luedtke and two great-grandchildren, Anna and Emilie Haslup.
Bill graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI, and enlisted in the Navy in 1944. He was stationed in the South Pacific during the remainder of the war and later taught navigation at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. He attended and graduated from the Naval Aviation School in Pensacola FL in 1948.
His love of flying took him to numerous Naval Air Stations throughout the world such as Okinawa, Japan, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Keflavik, Iceland. He was however, particularly fond of his two tours of duty at Clarksville Naval Base. As a recognized nuclear weapons expert, the purpose of his last assignment to Clarksville Base in 1969 was to close down facilities and transfer operations to Sandia, New Mexico. He retired from the Navy at CINCLANT Fleet, Norfolk, VA in 1971. Bill received his MBA from George Washington University and continued a second career as a Veterans Affairs Counselor for the State of Virginia.
The family wishes to thank all his caregivers for their amazing devotion to his well-being. He will be cremated and laid to rest at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family requests that contributions be made to Avalon Hospice (933 Tracy Lane, Suite F, Clarksville, TN 37040) for the excellent care they provided.