William 'Bill' Blue

William J. Bill Blue, 94, of West Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Danville, died at 1:39 p.m. Saturday, March 17, 2007 with family by his side. Bill was born on May 31, 1912 in Rantoul, Illinois, the son of Herman and Rose (McClellan) Blue. After graduating from Ogden High School in 1930, he entered the Air Force in 1932, serving as a Radio Operator aboard aircraft in Hawaii, until 1935. After leaving the military, he met and married Gail Krause and returned to the Fithian, Illinois area to farm for a few years. They moved to Danville later, where Bill worked as a chemist for Lauhoff Grain Company, then Allied Chemical as a chemist. Gail passed away in 1956 and he married Clare Byers. Bill retired and moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, where they bought the Bon Aire Motel on Singer Island. After selling that, he took a job at RCA working with computers, which he dearly loved, until Clare became ill. After Clare became ill, he retired to take care of her. Clare passed away in 1989, after many years of loving care by him. His love of computers prompted him to join four computer clubs. In the computer clubs he helped members program, hook up computers, and learn how to use them. Bill loved learning anything new about nature, science, technology, computers, anything and everything. He also loved playing on a keyboard, fixing small appliances, helping those less fortunate, and going out to breakfast with his group of friends every morning for 20 years. Bill is survived by his son Ken A. Blue and his wife Dorothea of Champaign, Illinois, a step-daughter Virginia Dodd of West Palm Beach, Florida, 2 step-grandchildren, Clare and Carol, a brother Don Blue of Decatur, Illinois; two very special nieces, Bea Coan of Bellview, Florida and Nancy Purviance of Danville, Illinois; several other nieces, nephews and cousins. He was much loved by all who knew him, and who will forever miss this kind, gentle, loving, compassionate, and generous man, who leaves a void no one else can ever fill. He was preceded in death by his parents, two wives, Gail and Clare, and an infant daughter. A Celebration of the Life of William J. Bill Blue will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 24, 2007 at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center with Pastor James Blue officiating. Visitation will be from 9:00 " 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Park Saturday following the service. Memorials may be made to the Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida 33407. E-mail condolences may be sent to the family at: www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.