William "Bill" Person

PERSON, WILLIAM TOLLIVER of Miami, FL, died January 2, 2014 at 91. Born in Louisburg, North Carolina in 1922, he served in the US Army Air Corps as a First Lieutenant, surviving a near fatal crash in a WWII test plane. After his recuperation in the then Biltmore Hospital in Coral Gables, he met the love of his life, Betty, a University of Miami coed. Bill, or 'Papa,' as known by his grandchildren, worked for the Miami-Dade County Port Authority, as an Electronics Engineer until his retirement. He was an avid sportsman and air boat enthusiast, winning consecutive air boat racing championships for many years. He will be remembered as an inventor, experimenter and problem solver, always willing to take on a task he'd never tried before and stubborn enough to get it done right. He was an honest, honorable man, who said what he meant and always had a story to tell. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 63 years; his sister Betsy Terrel; his three children: Susan, Sandy, and William III, his five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. His lessons of hard work and tenacity, in the face of the unknown, will be passed on, along with his stories, through the warm, dynamic family he helped build.