William H. (Bill) Ewing of Middletown, NJ, was born in Wilmington, DE, the second child and only son of William Francis Ewing and Helen Grotz Ewing. His sister, Margaret (Peg), who was three years older, set a high standard of good behavior-one that Bill did not find necessary to emulate.

When Bill was a year old, the family moved to Drexel Hill, PA. As a boy he spent his days riding his bike, exploring the woods, catching turtles and frogs, climbing trees and staying away from home as long as possible until the dinner bell at 6 o'clock. His strong work ethic bloomed at the age of 7 when he got a job on a vegetable truck. He liked the feeling of “financial independence” and set out on a path to earn more. He collected bottles, redeemable for 5 cents each, delivered newspapers, and worked his way up to auto mechanic at a local garage. At the age of 14, he used some of his earnings to buy a horse and then a car-without his parents’ knowledge. As a teenager, he designed and built go-carts, cars, and motorcycles. Always a competitor, Bill had quite a bit of success racing his ’50 and ’56 Chevies at the drag strip.

Bill’s family moved from the duplex in Drexel Hill to a “sprawling” ranch in Broomall before he started high school. When he graduated, he served his country in the Air Force Reserves, rejecting his father’s offer to pay for college. With the first part of his service completed, Bill found work as a lineman for Bell Telephone. He recognized quickly that his father was correct about continuing his education and eventually enrolled full time at Widener University, majoring in mechanical engineering. When he began to realize he was more interested in animals, specifically horses, he changed to pre-med in the hopes of becoming a veterinarian. His education was temporarily disrupted when he was called to active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Bill was fully committed to defending his country against the threat of communism, but his unit remained in Willow Grove, PA, where he was charged with entertaining the men who served with him, a “cruise director” role that fit his qualities of relating to and chatting easily with others.

In his senior year of college, his education was again interrupted, this time by a health issue that prevented him from pursuing medical school. He graduated with a BS degree in biology, moved to California, and was offered a job as a safety engineer at the Travelers Insurance Company. Following another opportunity from a client, he worked his way up the corporate ladder at Allied Chemical Corporation, Church and Dwight, Johnson & Johnson, and ultimately Monmouth Medical Center. During his job changes the family lived in Metropolis, IL, Morristown, NJ, Monmouth Beach, NJ, and Fair Haven, NJ. He found career success beyond his expectations and was proud to achieve the title of Vice President of Human Resources.

In 1972 Bill found personal success with the birth of his beloved daughter, Jill, and again knew that joy when his grandson, JJ, was born in 2005. He doted on his daughter, and when boys started showing up at the back door, his reaction was typical and protective … he didn’t like it. He attended all her high school basketball games, became an avid Duke basketball fan, and eventually saw the wisdom of her career choice as a teacher. Jill married John Flynn in 1999. John decided on the proper, old-fashioned custom of asking Bill for his daughter’s hand. Bill set high standards for a mate for Jill, and John won him over by the gesture. Bill danced at their wedding like no one was watching.

Bill took early retirement at age 55. At last he was free to participate full time in his favorite interest, sailboat racing. For 40 years, he and his wife, Eileen, travelled far and wide to compete in regattas in the Albacore, Lightning, J24, and Flying Scot classes with much success. He won 14 national championships, and his proudest sailing accomplishments came in the year 2000, when he won the Flying Scot Midwinter Championship, the Canadian Flying Scot Championship, and qualified for the Mallory Cup (U.S. Championship). Even after his health started to decline, he continued to compete in model sailboat racing at Spring Lake and travelled to many regattas with his remote control sailboats.

Later in life, he longed for warmth in the wintertime, and Bill and Eileen became part time residents of Crystal Lake RV Resort in Naples, FL. He continued model boating there and always went out of his way to help novice skippers learn more about the intricacies of model boat racing.

In 2018, Bill and Eileen decided it was time to adopt a little companion. That is when their Puerto Rican rescue dog Taco came into his life. Taco spent many hours by his side any time he was ailing. She kept him warm and feeling loved. The feeling was mutual, but Bill also enjoyed visiting other dogs and their owners at dog parks in Florida and New Jersey, even if Taco got a little jealous.

Bill had a lifelong commitment to hard work and providing for his family. He could pass on peacefully with those promises fulfilled, having given security and financial stability to us all. He stated proudly that his family was his top accomplishment in life.

Donations can be made to a charity of the the giver’s choice, Disabled American Veterans, or the Humane Society of Naples, Florida.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 7th from 1pm - 3pm at the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Rd, Middletown, NJ. 07748