Passed Away Last Month At The Age Of 90

Another of the famed Tuskegee Airmen has passed away. William L. Booker died November 30 in a nursing home in Kirkland, WA of complications from Parkinson's disease at the age on 90, according to his family.

Booker was a navigator and flight engineer on B-25 bombers during WWII, where he served with the 477th Bombardment Group based in Kentucky at Goodman Field. He was among those who trained with all-black crews and served in segregated units during the war. Booker had reportedly been training to participate in an invasion of Japan when the war ended.

The Associated Press reports that after the war, Booker worked for Boeing for 34 years. He also was president of the local Tuskegee Airmen's chapter.

The Seattle Times notes that Booker graduated from the University of Denver, became an electrical engineer, and was a patent-holding inventor. Dolores, his wife of 45 years, said he traveled across the Pacific Northwest making inspirational speeches to young people urging them to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to them. He actively helped raised thousands of dollars for scholarships every year.

He is survived by his wife Dolores, four children and seven grandchildren.

FMI: www.tuskegeeairmen.org