Obituary of Wilber Guy Bemis, Jr., 86

Wilber Guy Bemis, Jr., known to friends and family as Bill, passed away on February 18th, 2018 at the age of 86 years. Bill was loved by so many; he was a true ‘jack of all trades’ with a lifelong passion for learning, helping, teaching and singing. He was born September 28th, 1931 in Minneapolis Minnesota to Wilber and Martha Bemis, graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in psychology, and was married to Jean Winter Bemis in 1959.

He served his country by devoting his career to the armed forces. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps in the US Army Reserve in 1956. He was called to active duty in 1957, and was integrated into the Regular Army in 1965 following service at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (twice), the Pentagon, Redstone Arsenal, Inchon South Korea, Fort Devens, Camp Perry, Fort Lee, and Giessen Germany. After being promoted to Major in 1966, he then continued his service in Hanau Germany, Fort Lee (again), Riyadh Saudi Arabia, and Aberdeen Proving Ground (again.)

Following a diagnosis of diabetes, he was medically retired from the U.S. Army, and moved to State College, PA where he lived the rest of his life.

Some of the things Bill was proudest of were his singing with choral groups wherever he and his family lived (including 42 years with the State College Choral Society), his work with the Boy Scouts of America, his active participation in the PaMUG, his involvement with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Banner Committee, his work training amateur radio users (hams), and his extensive travel (he had visited all 50 states and 32 different countries.)

Bill was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Boalsburg. In addition to his wife, Jean, Bill is survived by his sons Guy and Dale, daughters-in-law Jean and Cory, and grandchildren Marlaina, Alyssa, Devin and Nathan.

A celebration of his life will be held in late Spring.