William A. “Bill” McQueen

Published 6:38 pm Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Funeral Services for William A. “Bill” McQueen, Jr., 89, of  Picayune, Miss., who passed McQueen clraway Friday, December 27, 2013, will be held Friday, January 3, 2014, at 2:00 pm at McDonald Funeral Home Chapel.

Visitation will be Friday, January 3, 2014 from 1- 2 p.m. at McDonald Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Cedar Grove Cemetery under the direction of McDonald Funeral Home.
The Rev. RT Buckley will officiate the service.
A native of Nicholson, Miss., Bill was a retired Major in the US Air Force and a Pilot for World Airways. At the tender age of 17, Bill began his career in the US Air Force, by the time he was just 18, he was the Captain of a B-24 Bomber crew. His next mission was the Berlin Airlift he considered it an honor to be part of this mission. Today, his life-size photo hangs in the Berlin Airlift Museum. His favorite mission, by far, was to fly the first Jet Bomber B-47. Later, he became a flight instructor for both the B-47 and B-52 Bomber Jets. After retirement from the US Air Force, he immediately took a position with World Airways where he flew his most dangerous missions as a civilian. He flew in and out of a war zone in Southeast Asia where he sustained hundreds of hits to his aircraft. He logged more than 40,000 hours in the sky. He loved his career as a Pilot. After retirement from World Airways, he enjoyed spending his time fishing with his friends and loved spending time at his own personal ponds he had designed and built on his personal property. He was very generous with his time and his money. He never said no to anyone in need. Bill was generous to a fault and his family and friends always knew he would be there if they needed him, anytime of the day or night.
Bill was a member of First Baptist Church of Nicholson. He was loved and adored by his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends, especially his namesake, his son Billy, who considered his dad his best friend.
He was preceded in death by: his parents, William Asa McQueen, Sr. and Mary Oliver McQueen; and his daughter, Misty Ann McQueen.
Survivors include: his wife, Germaine Lavigne McQueen; his son, William A. McQueen, III and wife Trina; his daughter, Cindy Scholzen; his two grandsons, Chris Sellers and Rylan McQueen; his two granddaughters, Megan Andrews and Germaine Goddard.
Obituary, Register Book, and Driving Directions can be found on the internet page, at www.mcdonaldfh.com
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to First Baptist Church of Nicholson Building Fund, P. O. Box 74, Nicholson, MS 39463.

 

 

About Barbara Mizell

Barbara Mizell began working for the Picayune Item in 1993. She started during the "cut and paste" days of the newspaper, and was the first to create a newspaper page using the computer for the Item. She has served as Composing Supervisor and honorary Religion Editor. Of all the contributions she has made over her 20 years at the Item, she is most proud of the World War II book "The Greatest Generation." Barbara was born and raised in the White Sand Community on Lee Hill, she has also written many short stories about growing up on the hill.

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