William R. Dewey passed on at home in Auburn Hill at the age of 84 on Sunday March 25. Born in Chicago on October 5, 1922, he moved to Detroit's Rosedale Park at the age of 8. He graduated from Redford High School in January of 1941. Afterwards, he worked for the Pere Marquette railroad at the Rougemere Yard in Detroit.
Bill proudly served as a B-24 bomber pilot with the rank of Captain in the 8th Air Force, 445 Bomb Group in World War II. A decorated veteran, he safely guided his plane and crew through great peril. On September 27, 1944, his plane was one of only five of thirty-five to return safely to England. Later known as the "Kassel Mission" raid the 445th suffered the greatest group loss ever in a single battle. Decades later, Bill returned to England, meet others who fought that day and founded the Kassel Mission Historical Society, uniting both Germans and Americans in the creation of a great memorial on German soil where the planes crashed. Bill's dedication in the last twenty years of his life to making the Kassel Mission known has made him a world figure.
After the War, Bill returned home and married Marilyn Alice Smith of Detroit. He graduated on the GI Bill from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a Bachelors in Business Administration. Married for 60 years, he was a devoted family man. Bill had a great sense of humor, loved sports and music. The family moved to Birmingham in 1968. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates, Inc., an executive search firm. Along with his son Bill, he placed hundreds of management professionals. Bill and Marilyn moved to Auburn Hills in 2002, where he resided until his passing.
Bill's faith in God helped him overcome any and every obstacle that life presented. Dad will be remembered as a strong, heart-filled, truly great man. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, his children Linda, Dianne (Fred) Nichols, Bill (Carol) and five grandchildren.
∼April 24, 2007
William Dewey, Auburn Hills
WWII pilot survived battle with Germans
William Dewey never forgot Sept. 27, 1944.
On that day, he and 34 other B-24 bomber pilots with the 8th Air Force, 445th Bombardment Group faced 150 German fighters during an aerial battle near Kassel, Germany. He was one of only five group pilots to safely land.
Decades passed, but Mr. Dewey longed to reconnect with American and German survivors, an opportunity that arose during a 1987 reunion in England. Following several meetings, the former pilot helped found what is now known as the Kassel Mission Historical Society, which had a joint memorial erected in Friedlos, Germany, commemorating victims.
"He felt very strongly that what happened on that day should not be forgotten," said his daughter, Linda Alice Dewey. "He had a very big heart."
Mr. Dewey died from heart failure Sunday, March 25, 2007, at his home in Auburn Hills. He was 84.
Born Oct. 5, 1922, in Chicago, he and his family moved to Rosedale Park in the early 1930s. He graduated from Redford High School in 1941.
A locomotive fan who often had ridden streetcars throughout the city, Mr. Dewey worked for the Pere Marquette railroad at the Rougemere Yard before serving as a captain in the 8th Air Force during World War II. Among his military decorations were an Air Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters, a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with four bronze stars.
After the war, Mr. Dewey attended the University of Michigan, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration. He settled in Birmingham in 1968.
He worked in managerial positions at several area companies before launching a self-titled company that sold industrial incinerators. He joined Management Recruiters, a company that sought executives for industrial construction projects. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates Inc., an executive search firm.
After relinquishing leadership, he and his wife, Marilyn, moved into a condominium in Auburn Hills in 2002. The couple also had a home in Glen Arbor, and enjoyed excursions with a traveling group.
Mr. Dewey spent many hours tinkering with a model railroad set in his basement, launched a railway fan magazine and belonged to a model railroaders' association. A die-hard sports fan, Mr. Dewey had Detroit Red Wings season tickets, and loved watching football and baseball.
He remained active with the Kassel Mission Historical Society, attended a rededication for the Kassel memorial last summer and planned to write a book about the battle, his daughter said.
In addition to his wife and daughter, other survivors include a son, Bill; a daughter, Dianne Nichols; and five grandchildren.
Bill proudly served as a B-24 bomber pilot with the rank of Captain in the 8th Air Force, 445 Bomb Group in World War II. A decorated veteran, he safely guided his plane and crew through great peril. On September 27, 1944, his plane was one of only five of thirty-five to return safely to England. Later known as the "Kassel Mission" raid the 445th suffered the greatest group loss ever in a single battle. Decades later, Bill returned to England, meet others who fought that day and founded the Kassel Mission Historical Society, uniting both Germans and Americans in the creation of a great memorial on German soil where the planes crashed. Bill's dedication in the last twenty years of his life to making the Kassel Mission known has made him a world figure.
After the War, Bill returned home and married Marilyn Alice Smith of Detroit. He graduated on the GI Bill from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a Bachelors in Business Administration. Married for 60 years, he was a devoted family man. Bill had a great sense of humor, loved sports and music. The family moved to Birmingham in 1968. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates, Inc., an executive search firm. Along with his son Bill, he placed hundreds of management professionals. Bill and Marilyn moved to Auburn Hills in 2002, where he resided until his passing.
Bill's faith in God helped him overcome any and every obstacle that life presented. Dad will be remembered as a strong, heart-filled, truly great man. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, his children Linda, Dianne (Fred) Nichols, Bill (Carol) and five grandchildren.
∼April 24, 2007
William Dewey, Auburn Hills
WWII pilot survived battle with Germans
William Dewey never forgot Sept. 27, 1944.
On that day, he and 34 other B-24 bomber pilots with the 8th Air Force, 445th Bombardment Group faced 150 German fighters during an aerial battle near Kassel, Germany. He was one of only five group pilots to safely land.
Decades passed, but Mr. Dewey longed to reconnect with American and German survivors, an opportunity that arose during a 1987 reunion in England. Following several meetings, the former pilot helped found what is now known as the Kassel Mission Historical Society, which had a joint memorial erected in Friedlos, Germany, commemorating victims.
"He felt very strongly that what happened on that day should not be forgotten," said his daughter, Linda Alice Dewey. "He had a very big heart."
Mr. Dewey died from heart failure Sunday, March 25, 2007, at his home in Auburn Hills. He was 84.
Born Oct. 5, 1922, in Chicago, he and his family moved to Rosedale Park in the early 1930s. He graduated from Redford High School in 1941.
A locomotive fan who often had ridden streetcars throughout the city, Mr. Dewey worked for the Pere Marquette railroad at the Rougemere Yard before serving as a captain in the 8th Air Force during World War II. Among his military decorations were an Air Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters, a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with four bronze stars.
After the war, Mr. Dewey attended the University of Michigan, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration. He settled in Birmingham in 1968.
He worked in managerial positions at several area companies before launching a self-titled company that sold industrial incinerators. He joined Management Recruiters, a company that sought executives for industrial construction projects. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates Inc., an executive search firm.
After relinquishing leadership, he and his wife, Marilyn, moved into a condominium in Auburn Hills in 2002. The couple also had a home in Glen Arbor, and enjoyed excursions with a traveling group.
Mr. Dewey spent many hours tinkering with a model railroad set in his basement, launched a railway fan magazine and belonged to a model railroaders' association. A die-hard sports fan, Mr. Dewey had Detroit Red Wings season tickets, and loved watching football and baseball.
He remained active with the Kassel Mission Historical Society, attended a rededication for the Kassel memorial last summer and planned to write a book about the battle, his daughter said.
In addition to his wife and daughter, other survivors include a son, Bill; a daughter, Dianne Nichols; and five grandchildren.
William R. Dewey passed on at home in Auburn Hill at the age of 84 on Sunday March 25. Born in Chicago on October 5, 1922, he moved to Detroit's Rosedale Park at the age of 8. He graduated from Redford High School in January of 1941. Afterwards, he worked for the Pere Marquette railroad at the Rougemere Yard in Detroit.
Bill proudly served as a B-24 bomber pilot with the rank of Captain in the 8th Air Force, 445 Bomb Group in World War II. A decorated veteran, he safely guided his plane and crew through great peril. On September 27, 1944, his plane was one of only five of thirty-five to return safely to England. Later known as the "Kassel Mission" raid the 445th suffered the greatest group loss ever in a single battle. Decades later, Bill returned to England, meet others who fought that day and founded the Kassel Mission Historical Society, uniting both Germans and Americans in the creation of a great memorial on German soil where the planes crashed. Bill's dedication in the last twenty years of his life to making the Kassel Mission known has made him a world figure.
After the War, Bill returned home and married Marilyn Alice Smith of Detroit. He graduated on the GI Bill from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a Bachelors in Business Administration. Married for 60 years, he was a devoted family man. Bill had a great sense of humor, loved sports and music. The family moved to Birmingham in 1968. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates, Inc., an executive search firm. Along with his son Bill, he placed hundreds of management professionals. Bill and Marilyn moved to Auburn Hills in 2002, where he resided until his passing.
Bill's faith in God helped him overcome any and every obstacle that life presented. Dad will be remembered as a strong, heart-filled, truly great man. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, his children Linda, Dianne (Fred) Nichols, Bill (Carol) and five grandchildren.
∼April 24, 2007
William Dewey, Auburn Hills
WWII pilot survived battle with Germans
William Dewey never forgot Sept. 27, 1944.
On that day, he and 34 other B-24 bomber pilots with the 8th Air Force, 445th Bombardment Group faced 150 German fighters during an aerial battle near Kassel, Germany. He was one of only five group pilots to safely land.
Decades passed, but Mr. Dewey longed to reconnect with American and German survivors, an opportunity that arose during a 1987 reunion in England. Following several meetings, the former pilot helped found what is now known as the Kassel Mission Historical Society, which had a joint memorial erected in Friedlos, Germany, commemorating victims.
"He felt very strongly that what happened on that day should not be forgotten," said his daughter, Linda Alice Dewey. "He had a very big heart."
Mr. Dewey died from heart failure Sunday, March 25, 2007, at his home in Auburn Hills. He was 84.
Born Oct. 5, 1922, in Chicago, he and his family moved to Rosedale Park in the early 1930s. He graduated from Redford High School in 1941.
A locomotive fan who often had ridden streetcars throughout the city, Mr. Dewey worked for the Pere Marquette railroad at the Rougemere Yard before serving as a captain in the 8th Air Force during World War II. Among his military decorations were an Air Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters, a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with four bronze stars.
After the war, Mr. Dewey attended the University of Michigan, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration. He settled in Birmingham in 1968.
He worked in managerial positions at several area companies before launching a self-titled company that sold industrial incinerators. He joined Management Recruiters, a company that sought executives for industrial construction projects. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates Inc., an executive search firm.
After relinquishing leadership, he and his wife, Marilyn, moved into a condominium in Auburn Hills in 2002. The couple also had a home in Glen Arbor, and enjoyed excursions with a traveling group.
Mr. Dewey spent many hours tinkering with a model railroad set in his basement, launched a railway fan magazine and belonged to a model railroaders' association. A die-hard sports fan, Mr. Dewey had Detroit Red Wings season tickets, and loved watching football and baseball.
He remained active with the Kassel Mission Historical Society, attended a rededication for the Kassel memorial last summer and planned to write a book about the battle, his daughter said.
In addition to his wife and daughter, other survivors include a son, Bill; a daughter, Dianne Nichols; and five grandchildren.
Bill proudly served as a B-24 bomber pilot with the rank of Captain in the 8th Air Force, 445 Bomb Group in World War II. A decorated veteran, he safely guided his plane and crew through great peril. On September 27, 1944, his plane was one of only five of thirty-five to return safely to England. Later known as the "Kassel Mission" raid the 445th suffered the greatest group loss ever in a single battle. Decades later, Bill returned to England, meet others who fought that day and founded the Kassel Mission Historical Society, uniting both Germans and Americans in the creation of a great memorial on German soil where the planes crashed. Bill's dedication in the last twenty years of his life to making the Kassel Mission known has made him a world figure.
After the War, Bill returned home and married Marilyn Alice Smith of Detroit. He graduated on the GI Bill from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a Bachelors in Business Administration. Married for 60 years, he was a devoted family man. Bill had a great sense of humor, loved sports and music. The family moved to Birmingham in 1968. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates, Inc., an executive search firm. Along with his son Bill, he placed hundreds of management professionals. Bill and Marilyn moved to Auburn Hills in 2002, where he resided until his passing.
Bill's faith in God helped him overcome any and every obstacle that life presented. Dad will be remembered as a strong, heart-filled, truly great man. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, his children Linda, Dianne (Fred) Nichols, Bill (Carol) and five grandchildren.
∼April 24, 2007
William Dewey, Auburn Hills
WWII pilot survived battle with Germans
William Dewey never forgot Sept. 27, 1944.
On that day, he and 34 other B-24 bomber pilots with the 8th Air Force, 445th Bombardment Group faced 150 German fighters during an aerial battle near Kassel, Germany. He was one of only five group pilots to safely land.
Decades passed, but Mr. Dewey longed to reconnect with American and German survivors, an opportunity that arose during a 1987 reunion in England. Following several meetings, the former pilot helped found what is now known as the Kassel Mission Historical Society, which had a joint memorial erected in Friedlos, Germany, commemorating victims.
"He felt very strongly that what happened on that day should not be forgotten," said his daughter, Linda Alice Dewey. "He had a very big heart."
Mr. Dewey died from heart failure Sunday, March 25, 2007, at his home in Auburn Hills. He was 84.
Born Oct. 5, 1922, in Chicago, he and his family moved to Rosedale Park in the early 1930s. He graduated from Redford High School in 1941.
A locomotive fan who often had ridden streetcars throughout the city, Mr. Dewey worked for the Pere Marquette railroad at the Rougemere Yard before serving as a captain in the 8th Air Force during World War II. Among his military decorations were an Air Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters, a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with four bronze stars.
After the war, Mr. Dewey attended the University of Michigan, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration. He settled in Birmingham in 1968.
He worked in managerial positions at several area companies before launching a self-titled company that sold industrial incinerators. He joined Management Recruiters, a company that sought executives for industrial construction projects. In 1981, he founded Continental Search Associates Inc., an executive search firm.
After relinquishing leadership, he and his wife, Marilyn, moved into a condominium in Auburn Hills in 2002. The couple also had a home in Glen Arbor, and enjoyed excursions with a traveling group.
Mr. Dewey spent many hours tinkering with a model railroad set in his basement, launched a railway fan magazine and belonged to a model railroaders' association. A die-hard sports fan, Mr. Dewey had Detroit Red Wings season tickets, and loved watching football and baseball.
He remained active with the Kassel Mission Historical Society, attended a rededication for the Kassel memorial last summer and planned to write a book about the battle, his daughter said.
In addition to his wife and daughter, other survivors include a son, Bill; a daughter, Dianne Nichols; and five grandchildren.
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