Willie Stohrer

Published 1:57 pm Thursday, April 3, 2025

September 8, 1926 – March 26, 2025

Willie Carl Stohrer, of Niles, Michigan passed away peacefully in St. Joseph, MI on March 26, 2025 at the age of 98 years.

Bill retired from Bendix/Allied Signal after thirty-nine years of service on December 31, 1991. He was employed as a service engineer in field service and later in the office as a service engineer. He was born September 8, 1926 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to Albert John Stohrer and Emma Bertha Haidle Stohrer. On May 25th, 1964 he married Thelma Steedman Sclater in Vancouver, B.C. Canada, who lived in Sydney, N.S.W. Australia and preceded him in passing on November 5, 2016.

He is survived by his daughter and son in law, Charlotte Emma Stohrer Risser and Jason Risser of St. Joseph, Michigan and two granddaughters, Ava Caroline Risser and Sara Isabelle Risser. He is also survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Charles William Stohrer and Laura Vennie of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was preceded in death by a brother, A.W. Stohrer and his spouse Patricia (Bellmore) Stohrer.

Bill graduated from University High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1944 and entered the U.S. Army (Infantry) in late 1944 being subsequently discharged in 1946. He eventually served overseas in Hawaii. He graduated from Western Michigan University in June 1951. After about 18 months at Kaiser-Frazer/Willow Run on the C-119 program he joined Bendix on Jan 26, 1953 remaining with Bendix until 12-31-1991.

In addition to long assignments in Marietta, Georgia on the Lockheed C-130; PWA Florida on the J-58 engine; Burbank, California on the SR71; and Oklahoma City on the TF-30-P3 engine controls overhaul he had many other shorter assignments in the field. Some other assignments include Baltimore, MD B-57; Edwards A.F.B. F84, B-57 and C-131; Los Altos Moffett Field, T-56 engine wind tunnel tests; Eglin Field C-130 & T-56 cold tests; Northwest Airlines Minneapolis 501-D-13 controls overhaul; Qantas Sydney, Australia 501-D-13 controls overhaul; Winnipeg, Canada T-56 control overhaul, KLM Holland 501-D-13 control overhaul, etc.

In 1970-71 Bill ended field service to work full time in the Bendix Plant at South Bend, IN as a service engineer on various ongoing and new programs to provide technical support for field service reps and service tooling, test equipment, training, illustrated parts catalogs, provisioning documents and in house overhaul programs as required. Bill also worked with engineering to provide service input to better address drawing change control and service input to formal (ECP) engineering change control proposals. Bill started flying in 1944 as a civilian hobby and soloed in September 1944. He became a private pilot in 1949, instrument rated in 1967 and obtained a commercial license in 1968 to fulfill a desire to obtain these ratings but only as a hobby.

Bill attained his aircraft and engine mechanics license in 1951 which was applicable to his desired career choice. Bill produced and provided extensive training aid material for military, airline and aircraft factory flight line personnel.

Bill also produced and provided control overhaul training material for control overhaul personnel at air force depots, airlines and commercial facilities. Bill was a member of the Bendix Salaried Retirees Club.

Funeral services will be held on April 11, 2025, at 2:00 P.M. at Brown Funeral Home in Niles, Michigan, with a time of visitation beginning at 1:00 P.M. The funeral will conclude with full military honors performed by the U.S. Army and American Legion Post 51. Following cremation, a burial will be in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at Washtenong Memorial Park Cemetery by the immediate family where arrangements have previously been made. Bill had faithfully attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Niles, Michigan. Memorial contributions may be made in Bill’s memory to Western Michigan University College of Aviation at 1903 W. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Photos, condolences, and memories may be left for Bill’s family at www.BrownFuneralHomeNiles.com