Willis A. Boothe, II
Jan 29th, 2021
Willis A. Boothe, II “Bill”, 94 of Yarmouth Port died Friday January 29, 2021 at his home, surrounded by his loving wife and daughters.
He was the husband of Betty D. (Johnson) Boothe. They were married for 67 years.
Born, raised and educated in Pittsburg, PA, Bill was the son of the late Willis and Grace (Starkey) Boothe. After his graduation from Peabody High School in 1943, he attended the University of Pittsburg prior to enlisting into the U.S. Army in 1944. After his honorable discharge in 1946, he attended Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he received a BS in 1949 and his MS in Mechanical Engineering in 1950.
Bill had a thirty six year career with General Electric where he developed equipment for a wide range of applications from jet engines to steel mills to early space planes and industrial gas turbines. He was the recipient of thirty eight patents, and he presented numerous technical papers, both in the U.S. and overseas. He retired in 1986.
A longtime resident of Schenectady, NY, Bill was active in his church and community. He served in many capacities at Trinity, now Faith United Methodist Church. He was president of the Niskayuna, NY Rotary Club, and served on boards of the Schenectady YMCA and the Freedom Forum.
After moving to Cape Cod in 1987, Bill has volunteered at the Hands of Hope Outreach Center, served as chairman of the Dennis Water Quality Advisory Committee for many years, and continued to take part in its pond testing program. Bill was a past member of the Harwich – Dennis Rotary Club and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was also a member and past president of the Cape Cod Men’s Club and active in the Dennis Union Church, where he served as a Deacon and as Moderator. He enjoyed skiing, golf, traveling and boating, but most of all he enjoyed his family and watching his grandchildren grow up.
In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by three daughters, Sally Bienkowski and her husband, Dan, Barbara Stabile and her husband, Randy, and Donna Hunt and her husband Don; eight grandchildren, Jeff Stabile and his wife, Jackie, Michael Bienkowski, Amy Stabile, Julie Stabile, Topher Hunt and his wife, Lily, Gregory Stabile and his wife, Tara, John Bienkowski, Julie Stabile, and Katherine Bienkowski; two great grandchildren, Zachary and Jackson Stabile; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, Kenneth Willis Boothe, who died in 1955.
Funeral services will be private.
As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to Dennis Union Church, P.O. Box 2020, Dennis, MA 02638 www.duchurch.org, or to Hands of Hope Outreach Center, c/o Cape Cod Council of Churches, 320 Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601 www.capecodcouncilofchurches.org, or to the charity of one’s choice.