William F. Goeken

William Franklin Goeken was born at home in Delavan, Illinois on July 13, 1922 to William John and Hazel Louise (Caswell) Goeken. William passed away at his home in Windham, CT, on January 15, 2018. William grew up on a farm in Central Illinois and left home to join the Army at the beginning of WWII. While serving in Texas as an airplane mechanic he was selected for the Army Air Corps, which later became the USAF. He served as a pilot with the 380/310th BSBG in North Africa and Italy during WWII. William also served as a pilot during the Korean War where he received a Bronze Star awarded to him by General Earl E. Partridge, who was then Commanding General of the 5th Air Force. William taught at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in the early 1960?s, having been requested by General Mark Clark during his tenure as President of the College. While stationed at Langley Air Force Base in VA, William received his MBA with high honors from George Washington University. William retired after 30 years of active service during which time he and Eva travelled together and raised 5 children while serving in Florida, Japan, Washington DC, Virginia, London, England, South Carolina, Virginia, Alaska and Massachusetts. He started his civilian career with Raytheon Corporation where he worked as a Comptroller for 17 years retiring to Windham, CT with his wife Eva in 1988. He is survived by his wife Eva (Tracy) Goeken of Windham, CT to whom he was married for more than 71 years, William John Goeken and his wife Rebecca of Crownsville, MD, Robert Mark of Dudley, MA, Jeffrey Tracy of Lowell, MA, Patricia Ann and her husband Peter Eggimann of Groton, MA, Kara Ann of Dudley, MA, and his sister-in-law Charlotte Goeken of Bloomington, IA, his brother-in-law Alfred Tracy and his wife Ann of Hartford, CT, and his sister-in-law Janet and her husband Pat Harrington of Scotland, CT and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 21, 2018 from 12:00-2:00pm at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St (Rte. 195) in Willimantic, CT. A Funeral Mass will be held at 12:00 noon, Monday, January 22, 2018 at St. Joseph Church, 99 Jackson St., Willimantic, CT followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations in his honor may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org . To sign the online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com