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After
having a wonderful, happy life for 88
years, Gunner Willhelm passed on to a
new one on Tuesday, 30 May 2017. He was
the eldest of six children born to the
late Edythe (Harbour) and Virgil
Willhelm on 22 October 1928 in
Galveston, Texas. |
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After
graduation from Ball High School in
Galveston in June, 1945, he attended the
University of Texas graduating with a
B.B.A. degree in January 1948. After
accepting a summer intern job with
Humble Oil & Refining Co. (now known as
Exxon Mobil) in Houston, TX, he was
offered a permanent position. Two years
later during the Korean War, he applied
and was accepted for Officer Candidate
School with the United States Air Force
at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. Upon
graduation as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was
specifically chosen to become an officer
agent for the Office of Special
Investigations. This included
assignments in Japan and Okinawa. After
leaving the USAF, he returned to work
for Humble. In 1961, he was offered a
position with the parent company,
Standard Oil of New Jersey,
headquartered at Rockefeller Plaza in
Manhattan, New York. This led to
overseas assignments to Europe and North
Africa. |
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After the
revolution in Libya, he transferred to
Exxon's Western Division in Los Angeles
in 1969. After retiring in 1982, he
moved to his retirement home in Arroyo
Grande, CA where he enjoyed the hard,
but enjoyable, work of having a small
Arabian horse farm. Later moves include
Santa Fe, NM and winters in Tucson AZ,
both favorites for a good life. During
this time he traveled domestically and
to 176 foreign destinations. Among these
travels, he qualified for the 1986 World
Championship Bridge tournament in Bal
Harbour, FL. In 2000, he returned to
Texas after a 40 year absence - choosing
San Antonio. |
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He is
preceded in death by his incredible
parents, his only sister - Margaret
Feistel - and two younger brothers:
Edgar Willhelm and Fred Willhelm. He is
survived by two brothers, Joseph
Willhelm (husband of Elizabeth Dayhoff)
of League City and Sidney Willhelm of
Kerrville, by Michelle Willhelm (wife of
Edgar Willhelm), and by his nieces and
nephews, cherished children of Joseph,
Edgar, and Margaret. |
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He was
always most grateful and appreciative of
the fine teachers and professors who
taught subjects, but also building
character, as did his parents. All
contributed to his having a productive
meaningful life full of joy and
appreciation. He also acknowledges all
the skilled medical personnel who kept
his health status in order to the end. |
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He left
with many fond, fun memories with family
members and wonderful friends he met
along life's way. He will be cremated
and his ashes scattered in the Gulf of
Mexico, which he very much loved when
living on Galveston island. |
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A Service
will take place at 10:00 A.M. on
Saturday, June 10, 2017, at the chapel
of Blue Skies of Texas East, 4917
Ravenswood Drive, San Antonio, Texas. A
Family Service will be held in
Dickinson, Texas on Saturday, June 17,
2017. |
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An event was named for
Gunner at the San Antonio 4th of July Regional
in 2017. |
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