Willie West Starnes

Willie West Starnes, age 90, of Waco, formerly of West, passed away early peacefully Thursday morning, May 28, 2015 at his residence after a brief illness. Funeral services will be held 1:00 P.M. Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at Aderhold Funeral Home Chapel in West, with Rev. Steve Grube and Alan Johnson officiating. Military graveside rites will follow at Bold Springs Cemetery, conducted by the West Veterans Honor Guard. The family will receive visitors Wednesday from 12:00 noon until service time at the funeral home. Willie was born October 27, 1924 in West, the son of Wiley and Janie (Brister) Starnes. He graduated from West High School in 1942 and then attended Hill Junior College in Hillsboro receiving an Associate Degree. After high school, he joined the United States Navy during World War II serving aboard the USS Hyman in the engine room which supported troops at Iwo Jima and Okinawa as well as other places in the Pacific Theater. After the war and his studies at Hill Junior College, he began his career in aircraft manufacturing beginning with Convair. Willie was also instrumental in helping to build the C54 used during the Berlin Airlift. He spent the bulk of his career at Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, where he worked for many years until his retirement in 1986. Willie enjoyed watching the stock market numbers go up and down each day. But he especially loved spending time with his family and walking daily at the local mall. He was a member of the Hyman Naval Ship Group. Willie is preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Wiley P. Starnes; two sisters, Alsie Spurlock and Lenore Jones; sister-in-law, Christine Starnes; brothers-in-law, John Spurlock and T.K. Jones; and one nephew, John W. Spurlock. Survivors include his nephews, Wiley Phillip Starnes and wife Julie of Waco and Marvin Jones and wife Paulette of Minnesota; his nieces, Emily Johnson and husband, Laney of Longview, Martha Detterman and husband Joe of Fredericksburg, Ann Wilson of Longview, Jana Reid and husband Dan of Granbury, Jaye Thompson and husband J. T. of The Woodlands, Patsy Grube and husband Steve of Boyd, Maryland and Sharon McCoy and husband Jim of Houston; and many cousins, other relatives and friends. Pallbearers are J. D. Detterman, Nathan Grube, Billy Detterman, Les Johnson, J. T. Thompson, Dan Reid, Joshua Reid, Joel Reid, Tanner Thompson and Steven Grube. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ronald McDonald House or the American Cancer Society. The family would like to offer heartfelt thanks to the entire staff of Providence Hospice for their compassionate and loving care of Willie.