On Thursday, May 4, 2023, Bill Case, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to so many passed away. Bill lived life to the fullest and passed away on his latest adventure in the Galapagos Islands.
He did and experienced so much in his 79 years that it is difficult to adequately summarize here.
His life started in the small town of Aurora, Indiana. He was an only child, but delighted in living among his grandparents, cousins, and a gaggle of neighborhood kids. When Bill was eleven, his parents purchased land on the Tamiami Trail and moved the family to Florida. On that land, his parents hand-built a root beer stand called The Frosted Mug and lived behind it. After high school, Bill saved money by working at a marina and then entered Florida State University. He thrived in Tallahassee as he again delighted in being part of a larger community and zipped around campus in his beloved 1956 red MG.
As graduation approached, Bill wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in math but opted instead for a job with Boeing Computer Systems in Huntsville, Alabama to work on the Apollo program. There, he worked on simulations of launches and the moon rover and became the Employee of the Year in 1972. The Huntsville area became his home for the next 50 years. He married and had two girls who were his pride and joy. As a family, they traveled widely and took in new experiences whenever possible.
After Boeing Computer Systems, Bill worked at M&S Computing, which would become the Intergraph Corporation. After more than 20 years with Intergraph, Bill worked with several new companies and became extremely active in the community. He was undeniably brilliant with an unquenchable desire for learning and experiences. In painting classes, he found an outlet for his creativity. In discussion groups, he enjoyed grappling with knotty issues. In his beloved writer’s group, he bonded with others who understood the power of story. In church, he found lifelong community and spiritual inspiration. Through Learning Quest, he found a community of curious learners and positively impacted the community by helping plan new classes. And with his family, he found pure happiness and joy.
Wherever Bill went, he carried a quick wit, a generous spirit, kind eyes, and an easy smile. He always had a myriad of ongoing projects; at any given time, he was reading several books, halfway done with an oil painting, editing his book, planning trips, taking mandolin classes, and supporting his family and friends. As one of his grandsons said upon learning of his death, “he was my favorite grown up.” His zeal for life made him the favorite of so many. He radiated light and love, and will be so missed.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Friday May 12, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church Madison. Time for reflection and visitation will follow the service.
In honor of Bill’s generosity, please consider a donation to the Community Free Clinic of Huntsville or Huntsville Public Radio (WLRH).
