William Dunning Paton, 87

February 25, 2017

William Dunning Paton passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 25, 2017. He was 87 years old. He was born in 1929 in Meriden, Connecticut. He grew up on an apple orchard with his parents and siblings.

Bill was a very good-natured and compassionate man. He was happiest when he was with his wife, four children and grandchildren. He often told stories to them about being a prosecutor and life in the Air Force. For years he was an avid jogger, loved flying small aircraft and studied health.

Bill was an Assistant State’s Attorney for Maryland, a Prosecutor and Public Defender for Montgomery County, Maryland, and Corporate Secretary for People’s Drugstores (now CVS). He served as Senior Litigation Attorney for the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for sixteen years.

At the same time as he pursued an ambitious legal career, Bill wrote and published legal manuals. In 1977 he and his sister Virginia Thomas formed Hanford Publishing Company. For forty years Hanford published summaries of criminal and family law court decisions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other states.

Bill’s love of flying began early. At age 10, he was the youngest official airplane spotter on the East Coast during World War II. He often spoke fondly of Northfield Mount Hermon Preparatory School. After serving for four years in the Air Force as a Captain, he earned a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Georgetown University School of Law.

Bill is survived by his caring wife Carol, his children and their spouses, his nieces and nephews and 10 grandchildren, who were all very dear to him.

Friends will be received at 10 am, Saturday, March 11, 2017, at Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543. Visitation will be from 10 am to 11 am, with a memorial service from 11 am to noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to honor Bill with donations to:
Off The Streets, a non-profit which helps the homeless of Lancaster, PA.
Please see www.offthestreetsnow.com for details.