Obituary of William Edward McLaughry

William Edward (Bill) McLaughry passed away on November 10, 2016, in Vancouver, WA after a short illness. Born on May 31, 1930 in New Wilmington,PA, to James A and Margaret McLaughry, Bill graduated from New Wilmington High School as Salutatorian of the Class of 1947. After a year studying at Westminster College, Bill served from 1948 to 1969 in a worldwide organizationpromoting peace and reconciliation. The multi-faceted effort, including several large musical productions, traveled to 26 nations putting Bill’s singing and acting talents to good use. He was captain of the Beaver, a self-propelled barge,and the Kee-way-din, a high-speed 48-foot passenger boat, for Mackinac College on Mackinac Island, Michigan. He later served on the Los Angeles Harbor Patrol at Marina del Rey, CA.Married in 1970, Bill and his wife Kate (Schwab) designed and built theirhome near New Wilmington, PA, in 1976 as an experiment in intentional living.The house was an early example of energy efficiency and passive solar power. He was a life-long learner with an Associate Degree in broadcasting Summa cum Laude from Los Angeles City College in 1974, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history Magna cum Laude from Westminster College in 1999. During these years Bill starred in numerous community theater productions, including Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Lyman Hall in 1776, and The Old Man in the Woods in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. For nine years he volunteered with Learning Ally, recording textbooks for the blind and dyslexic. Bill was best known to family and close friends as a poet, writer, singer, handyman, and builder with a heart of service.Bill and Kate moved to Denver, Colorado, in 2006, and to Vancouver, Washington, in 2016 to be closer to family. In July of 2016 he went skydiving for the first time. Preceding him in death were his parents, sister Mary Beth McLaughry, and brother James A. McLaughry Jr. He is survived by his wife, Kate, sons David (Amy) of Colorado and Stephen (Alexandra) of Portland OR and five grandchildren: (Jena, Devin, Mason, Fiona and Athena, and a sister “Peg” Marshall (David) Lehto of Greenville PA.In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Kaiser Hospice, 2701 NW Vaughn St., Suite 140, Portland OR 97210.