Duane Willhard

Duane Henry Willhard of the Webster, WI area, passed away on Saturday morning, September 24, 2016, at the age of 92 years. Duane was born in Chicago, IL, on February 19, 1924, son of the late Henry and Dorothy (Eberle) Willhard. He attended public schools there, and attended North Park College in Chicago. Initially enrolled in the U.S. Navy’s V-12 Program in Chicago, Duane then served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, transferring to the Naval Reserve on December 20, 1945 with the rank of LTjg. He was assigned to Fleet Air Wing Two and Air Transport Squadron Two as a pilot flying missions in the Pacific Theater as well as from Glenview IL, Jacksonville FL, and Corpus Christi TX. On May 29, 1948, Duane was united in marriage to Lois Arlene Bassett at Waveland Congregation Church in Chicago. They had been married over 68 years. Duane was employed over 45 years with International Harvester (IH) retiring in 1989. He was a sales agent then sales manager, and coordinated delivery of new trucks to retail truck dealers throughout the Midwest. Due to the needs of the company, Duane and Lois and family lived in various cities in the Chicago area as well as in Fort Wayne IN, Springfield OH, and Overland Park KS. Duane and Lois have lived in LaFollette Township the past 16 years. Duane loved boating and was an accomplished scuba diver and dive instructor. He was quite the handyman at home. Duane was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, and had served as a Boy Scout Leader earlier in his life. Surviving are his wife, Lois; three children: Janet Lynn (Philip) Benes, John Stuart Willhard, and Judith Anne Martley; grandchildren: Christopher (Susan) Benes, Matthew Benes, and Hannah Arlene Martley; and great-grandchildren: Amelia, Grace, and Roselyn Benes. He is preceded in death by grandson, Ryan Charles Willhard. The funeral service for Duane Willhard will be conducted at 11:00 am (visitation 10:00 to 11:00 am), Friday, September 30, 2016, at Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home in Webster, WI. The committal service with full military honors will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, Sep. 30th at Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Spooner, WI.