William Davis Obituary

Davis, Major General William John Passed away on March 14, 2019, at the age of 85 years old, while being hospitalized not far from his farm in Wadsworth, Illinois. William Davis was a lifelong Chicagoan, born August 4, 1933. He was a native of the north side, raised a family in the western suburb of St. Charles, and retired to his farm in Wadsworth, just north of Gurnee. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953, and began his flying career as a navigator for reconnaissance missions. He then returned to Chicago, joined the reserves, and attended school at Northwestern University where he graduated in 1959 with a degree in Political Science. After briefly attending law school at the University of Miami, he decided to pursue a flying career full time and took a job with American Airlines. In 1971, he married Sandra Marie Richter, of Hopkins, Minnesota, and they started a family raising two children, Kristen Marie and Michael William. William Davis served 35 years with the United States military before retiring as the Commander of the Illinois Air National Guard in 1989. After 30 years of service with American Airlines, he retired as a Captain in 1993. He became a widow when his wife, Sandra Davis, died of cancer in 2000. He was a curious, compassionate, and scholarly individual. He was a car and motorcycle enthusiast, a philanthropist, and a public servant, but he'll be remembered most as a wonderful father and a loving husband. He is survived by his two children, Kristen and Michael.