Lt. Col. Willis A. 'Bill' Ensign Ret.

Ret. Lt. Col. WILLIS A. "BILL" ENSIGN, Jr. (age 84), beloved husband, father, and son, passed away on March 24, 2017. Bill was born on March 28, 1932, in Buffalo, NY, as a 12th generation American. Bill spent his formative years in the Buffalo area. He graduated in 1949 from Eden Central High School in Eden, NY, and also graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, in 1953 where he earned a degree in Speech and Political Science. Bill was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity and joined the United States Air Force through the ROTC program while there.

Bill was employed for 40 years as a lighting specialist and sales manager for the Lamp Division of the General Electric Company. Active in the local electrical industry, he also served on the Board of Directors of the Electric League of Indiana. Ensign was a 25 year military Retiree, having served in the United States Air Force, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, and he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was a life member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and maintained membership in the Reserve Officers Association, Air Force Association, Korean War Veterans Association, The White River Military Officers Association, and the Carmel American Legion Post. Bill also served as President of the Carmel Clay Veterans Memorial Corporation. Bill and his wife Dorothy were also charter members of St. Mark's United Methodist Church, founded in 1979, where Bill served as the first chairman of the trustees.

Bill was married for 63 years to his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Claire (Parmelee) of Eden, NY. He is survived by his loving wife and children; Terry Ensign, James (Hettie) Ensign, Cynthia (Steve) Baney, Deborah (Jeff) Sparks, and Blake Ensign; eight grandchildren, Kayla, Andrew, and Christopher Ensign, Jonathan, Lauren and Claire Baney, and Jackson and Joseph Sparks. Bill is also survived by Blake’s Japanese family, Toshiko and Kota Iseki.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Willis Albert Ensign Sr. and Norma Winifred (Kraft) of Buffalo, NY, and by his son, Mark Willis Ensign.

The Ensign family is especially grateful for Bill's devoted caregiver, Verna Kennedy

Visitation is from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 7, 2017 at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 4780 E 126th St., Carmel, IN. Memorial services will be immediately following. Inurnment will take place on a later date at Wheaton Cemetery in Wheaton, Illinois.

Memorial contributions can be made to the White River MOAA Scholarship Fund, PO Box 404, Carmel, IN 46082-0404. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Flanner and Buchanan – Carmel.