William F. “Bill” Albright Jr., 95

November 16, 2018

William F. “Bill” Albright Jr., 95, of Lancaster, passed away on Friday, November 16, 2018.
He was the husband of the late Dorothy J. Heidlauf, who passed away in 2016. Born in Lancaster, he was the son of the late William F., Sr. and Mary M. Quinn Albright.
A graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School in 1942, Bill earned a BS in Business Management from LaSalle College in 1948. After college, he worked for a few years each at Keystone Pretzel and Lancaster Pump and Mftg. Co. He retired after 25 years in middle management from the DeWalt Division of Black and Decker US Inc. He then worked part-time for about 10 years at the Watt and Shand Dept. Store in Park City.
After high school, Bill enlisted in the US Army Air Corps and served as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 bomber crew with the 305th Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force, ETO. After several missions, his plane was shot down over Germany in November of 1943. The crew bailed out and were immediately captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp. He spent eighteen months in Stalag 17B POW camp and was liberated in May 1945. He was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. in October 1945.
Bill was a life member of Millersville VFW Post 7294. He was the past president of PA Regional Group of Blinded Veterans Association and represented them as a member of the PA War Veterans Council and the PA State Veterans Commission.
Bill was a member and former head usher at St. John Neumann Catholic Church. He was charter member of the St John Neumann Council 12532 Third Degree Knights of Columbus, serving as a member of the honor guard and as Past Faithful Navigator of the Fourth Degree Assembly 915.
He liked to play golf and bridge, and enjoyed watching football and baseball on TV. The Phillies, Eagles, Notre Dame and Penn State were his favorites.
Bill is survived by his sons: Thomas B., husband of Lecia A. Albright of Spotsylvania, VA, David J., husband of Rebecca Albright of St. Louis, MO, and Andrew M., husband of Kelly L. Albright of Lancaster, and by one granddaughter, Katharine Albright of Lancaster, PA. He was preceded in death by his sisters: Mary M. Dawson and Margaret “Pat” Hoover and his brother, John H. Albright.
Friends will be received on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 601 E. Delp Rd., Lancaster, PA from 10-11AM, with the Mass to follow at 11AM. Interment will be in St. Joseph New Catholic Cemetery in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Bill’s memory to the Blinded Veterans Assn., 477 H Street NW, Washington DC 20001 or at bva.org.