William James Gilbert

William James Gilbert, 86, of Buckhannon, West Virginia and Ruskin, Florida passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, after battling a short illness. He was a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather and friend and will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him.

Bill was born on August 26, 1939 in Greenville, South Carolina. He was the third son of Paul Manly and Ruby Gilbert. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at the age of 17 and completed over 21 years of active service and retired as a Senior Master Sergeant. He served overseas on numerous assignments including Vietnam, Turkey and Germany. After retiring from the Air Force he became a government civilian with the West Virginia National Guard and retired from that in 1998. He loved fellowship and was a proud member of the Masons, Shriners, and the Moose Lodge.

Bill loved to travel. He was always on the go or planning for somewhere to go. He and his wife Floris recently returned from their second trip to Egypt where they rode camels and walked the Valley of the Kings. He and Floris loved cruising, traveling to Europe and camping throughout America. They would spend up to six weeks at a time in Ireland visiting historic sites and picturesque locations.

He was preceded in death by his son Scott and is survived by his wife of 67 years Floris, sister Nancy, daughters Becky and Sharon, sons-in-law John and Brent, daughter-in-law Stephanie, granddaughters Kaitlin and Victoria and grandsons William, Thomas and Connor.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in West Virginia at a later date. The family invites all who knew him to attend and share their favorite memories and will advise the date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, of which Bill was a passionate supporter.

The family thanks you for your support and asks you to share this memorial with anyone who was touched by Bill’s life. Please visit his online tribute page at www.NationalCremation.com to leave a message of condolence or share a favorite memory.