William Baker Rich, Jr., 92, passed died Thursday, Dec. 29, surrounded by his family and friends in Smithville, Texas. Bill was raised in Warrensburg, where his father worked as a manager at the local power company (MO P&L). William Rich, Sr. was also the charter president of his local Rotary Club.

Graveside services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Warrensburg with full military honors by the Warrensburg American Legion Post 131 and VFW. The family will receive friends Saturday, from 1-2 p.m. at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, the American Legion, or the Boy Scouts Troop 400 and can be left in care of the funeral home.

Bill was an Eagle Scout, Troop 400 in High School, completed the American Legion Missouri Boys State program in 1942 and enlisted in WWII at age 18 years after High School. Bill learned to fly a Piper Cub, worked that summer with the US Corps of Engineers building airstrips at Whiteman Airforce Base outside Warrensburg and enrolled in local community college (Central Missouri College), until he was called into service Dec. 1942. He went to Sheppard’s Airforce Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, for Basic Training. He then went to Radio Operator Training schools in Wisconsin & S.D. and was certified for High Frequency Radio, Radio Operator Mechanics & Air Traffic Control (including learning Morse Code). Bill then served in the Pacific Theatre with the Army Air Corps at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines. He worked in Air Traffic control at the base and flew as a radio operator in B-25 bombers to various islands, including Okinawa. Bill received the Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, Victory Ribbon & Philippine Liberation Ribbon. His highest rank as active duty was Sergeant and he served until Feb. 1946. Bill was in the first American troops to land in Japan as USAAF Technicians to take control of “Radio Tokyo” transmitters on the hills above Tokyo in Aug. 1945, a week before Sept. 2, 1945 when Japan signed the unconditional surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay with Gen. MacArthur.

Upon returning to the U.S., Bill attended University of Missouri, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1952. Bill was ROTC during college and was a 2nd Lieutenant when he was Honorably Discharged from the AF Reserves in 1957 after serving 4 months in the Korean War. He was hired by Mobil Oil Co. as an Electrical Engineer in the oil fields and was sent to Venezuela right after college. Bill met his first wife at the oil camps while she was visiting her parents. Her father worked for Mobil Oil Co. as a Pipeline Engineer. Both of Bill’s two children were born in Venezuela at the oil camps. After 10 years with Mobil Oil Co., Bill moved to Kuwait & Saudi Arabia continuing to work for Oil companies and retired from ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia in the early 1980’s as a Senior Project Engineer. Bill moved back to Warrensburg, remarried, built his retirement home and started a 2nd career with Whiteman AF Base (the same base he helped build at age 18 years) working as a Civilian Engineer for Whiteman, which houses the B-2 Bombers flying missions to Afghanistan. He worked for an additional 20 years at the Whiteman, retiring three weeks before his 80th birthday in Aug. 2004. Bill enjoyed attending the Opera in Kansas City, Mizzou football games and UCM Mule basketball games. He did volunteer work for the Boy Scout Troop 400, and having been in the Boys State program in High School at Warrensburg, he was a supporter of the CMU programs.

Having out lived his wife, Bill relocated to central Texas to be near his daughter. He enjoyed attending Rotary Club functions, Church at Calvary Episcopal and numerous Veterans functions. In Oct. 2013 Bill was flown to Washington DC by the Honor Flight group for a tour of all the War Memorials. He really enjoyed the trip and the respect WWII veterans have been shown with the impressive memorial. Bill was an active member of the Rotary Club of Bastrop County and Bastrop Calvary Episcopal Church.

He is preceded in death by his parents, William B. Rich, Sr. and Margaret (Harris) Rich; sister, Lyneve Rich Francis and husband Col. Sam Francis; nephews, Tim and Mark Francis; and Bill and wife Ladorna Highland Rich. He is survived by his son, Stephen Rich; daughter, Lisa Rich Beck Hunter and her husband Sun Down Hunter; grandson, Karl Beck and his wife Tara; great grandsons, William Beck, Henry Beck; grandchildren, Sundown West Hunter, Devlin Hunter, Lindsey Hunter; his first wife Marion Wier DeFord and niece, Carol Francis along with several extended family members.