~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, DL Capt. William R.
Erwin
December 19, 1936 ~ October 1,
2016
Notification with the passing of retired
Delta pilot Captain William Roy Erwin, age 79. Captain Erwin joined Delta Air
Lines 02-08-1965 and was based MSY, then 030/ATL at the time of his retirement.
Private services were held for Captain Erwin yesterday October 7th in
Louisiana. He is survived by his wife Norma.
To view the online obituary and sign the
guestbook please visit the funeral home website at www.lakelawnmetairie.com
For those wishing to send personal
condolences, Whitepages lists the family contact as
4729 Henican Place , Metairie, LA
70003-1111 ... (504) 887-7630.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the
PCN
Obituary ... http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theneworleansadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=William-R-Erwin&pid=181790004
On Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 William R.
Erwin of Metairie passed away at East Jefferson General Hospital. He was 79
years old. A private service was held on Friday, Oct. 7 at All Saints Mausoleum
in Metairie Cemetery.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Bill was
the only child of Roy and Laura (nee Hromodka) Erwin. After graduating from Kent
State University where he’d been a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, he
served his country as a pilot in the United States Navy and Naval Reserve. In
1965 he signed on with Delta Airlines selecting New Orleans as his base and
proceeded to live his dream job for nearly 32 years until retirement. Passengers
on his flights were frequently entertained with details and interesting facts
about the areas over which they were flying. His return home often included
foods from the cities of his layovers—sourdough from San Francisco; Nathan’s
hotdogs or Carnegie Deli sandwiches from New York; lobsters from Maine. As a
result of his love for his profession, he was affectionately known as “Captain
Billy” by many of his friends and acquaintances.
Bill’s personality was larger than life
and affected almost everyone who knew him. He was passionate about his family,
becoming greatly involved with many of his children’s hobbies over the years. He
was equally passionate about his adopted city; despite having been a transplant,
Bill’s love for all that is New Orleans was unmatched and infectious. Like all
true New Orleanians, Bill was a long-suffering and devoted Saints fan, taking
part as a loyal season ticket holder for decades. He also had a unique love for
Tulane’s Green Wave, attending their games for decades as well.
Bill loved the many festivals New Orleans
featured and was a daily and annual fixture in the Economy Hall tent of Jazz
Fest for nearly two decades. When it came to Mardi Gras, he was a member of
Metairie’s now-defunct Krewe of Aquila, transitioning to the Krewe of Bacchus in
which he was a member for many years. He also was a proud officer with Pete
Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club, eventually joined by his son, marching with
the group for nearly 20 years until 2014.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents
as well as his lifelong friend and fraternity brother, Gary Glasser, of
Perrysburg, Ohio. Bill is, without a doubt, enjoying a beer and box of Popeye’s
with his friend, laughing over old times right now.
Bill leaves behind his devoted and loving
wife, Norma (nee Buckley), as well as his son David of Jefferson, LA; eldest
daughter, Karen Rodman and her husband Tedd of Southborough, Mass.; and youngest
daughter, Christine, of Moreland Hills, Ohio. He also leaves behind the three
grandchildren he adored: Aphra Erwin and fiancé Justin Kingsley of Lake Charles,
La., and Jack and Lindsey Rodman of Southborough, Mass.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers
donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in memoriam. To view and sign
the guest book, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.
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