William Dyer

William K. Dyer, 93, of Mission, Ks. passed away on March 21st, 2008, at Brighton Gardens in Prairie Village. He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Erna, and is survived by his son Kirk, of Denver, Co., his daughter Sally LaPorta and her husband Michael, of Vero Beach, Fl., and granddaughter Sarah Dyer, of Centerview, Mo. He graduated from Bennett high school in Buffalo, N.Y. prior to attending the University of Kentucky where he graduated in 1936 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Bill served honorably in the Army as a captain during World War II. After the war, he transferred to the newly formed United States Air Force and remained in the Air Force reserves until his retirement at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Bill married Erna Sahli, his high school sweetheart, in 1939. At the end of the war they moved to Roeland Park, Kansas, where he represented the Buffalo Forge Company as a technical sales representative until his retirement in 1970.

As a licensed professional engineer Bill was a long term member of ASHRAE. He also belonged to the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, the Retired Officers Association, The Air Force Association, and the Kansas City Engineers Club. His pastimes were many, he was a private pilot and light aircraft owner for many years, sailed his catamaran on many area lakes, and scuba dived locally and in Florida. He and Erna traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. Bill was also an enthusiastic collector of coins and stamps. At the age of fifty he took up running and it remained one of his passions for forty years. His running led to competitive bicycling and participation in triathlon events both locally and nationally. One of his proudest moments came when he carried the Olympic torch through part of Mission on its journey to the games in Atlanta, Ga. in 1996.

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