- Date Of Death: January 29, 2009
- State: Pennsylvania
William Chester Bachman
Bill Bachman passed away at the Roseburg, Oregon Veteran’s Hospital Transitional Care Unit on January 29th at the age of 93. Born in Bethlehem on January 8, 1916 to parents Bertram and Grace (Hulshizer) Bachman, he attended Penn State University where he was a member of the wrestling team and in 1941 received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Metallurgy. During World War II he served as a navy lieutenant on Minesweeper USS YMS 381 and participated in the Normandy D-Day landings at Utah Beach. In 1942 he married Doris L. Clewell and they lived together in the Allentown-Bethlehem area until her death in 1983. Bill was a manager for 33 years with Bethlehem Steel’s Coke Plant Division and retired in 1980. He was a member of the American Legion Fountain Hill Post 406 and a Mason with Saucon Lodge 469. In 1996, at age 80, he drove himself across the country to reside with his son in Oregon. Bill was a wonderful carver, including a blue ribbon winning relief of the Last Supper out of a single block of wood. He loved Penn State football and was an avid fan of the Phillies. He really enjoyed playing pinochle with his son, and also participating in the Power Ball lottery. Even though he once won a sizeable prize, he was always planning on getting the right numbers for “the big one.” Books were also his love and he was most fond of historical novels. His Christmas cookies and “Shoo Fly” pies were wonderful, and he loved sweets, particularly licorice. He was a loving and caring husband, dad and grandpa, as well as an extremely generous individual. His humor was well appreciated by those who knew him and he especially enjoyed the “Far Side” comics and “Kramer” on “Seinfeld.” Survivors: Bill is survived by his son, Bill (II) of Roseburg, Oregon and grandson, James of Phoenix, Oregon. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; brothers Jim, George and Donald; sister Alberta (Frable) and sister-in-law Grace (Clewell) Kerschmar.
