William Howard Willoughby Jr.

William Howard “Bill” Willoughby Jr., a patriot and eternal optimist, who was an inspiration and mentor to many, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 5, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was 86.

Throughout every aspect of his life, Bill epitomized the values, “Duty, Honor, Country,” the motto of his alma mater, the United States Military Academy (USMA or West Point) and he passed them on to all with whom he came into contact.

Bill was born in 1937 into a ranching family in Ventura, California to William Howard and Rosemary (Whalen) Willoughby. After leading infantry battalions in combat in World War II, Bill’s father was posted to Japan from 1946-48 and was able to bring his family along. While there, Bill attended the war crimes trials and met General MacArthur. He also witnessed the devastation at Hiroshima. He lived in New York and Virginia before attending USMA. He graduated and was commissioned as an Infantry officer in 1960.

That same year he married the love of his life, Ann Patterson. Bill and Ann moved to Germany, where Bill served as part of NATO forces. He served in Vietnam’s central highlands in 1965-66. He commanded a Special Forces A team at Plei Me and worked extensively with, and was greatly impressed by, the indigenous Montagnard people. During this tour, he received the Soldier’s Medal for pulling a fellow soldier from a burning building after an explosion.

Bill returned to Vietnam in 1968 with the 1st Infantry Division (“the Big Red One”). Severely wounded in his arm in combat in November 1968, he continued to command air and ground operations on the battlefield. He received the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions that day. After his recovery, he earned an MBA and, in 1971, retired from the Army due to his disability, with the rank of Major. In his short, but distinguished active-duty military career, he also earned the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger tab, Special Forces tab, and Senior Parachutist Badge. Bill was enormously proud that his sons, Bill (USMA ’83) and John (ROTC), also served in the Army.

Embarking on a business career in manufacturing, Bill held positions of increasing responsibility before founding Cleveland Track Material (CTM), a railroad trackwork manufacturing firm, in 1984 with five others in inner-city Cleveland. He cared deeply about CTM’s employees and saw the business as a way to give people new opportunities. This included hiring the long-term unemployed, those trying to get fresh starts despite having criminal records, and new immigrants for whom he organized regular English classes. His son Bill joined him at CTM in 1993. The company flourished and expanded to include operations in Chicago and Memphis and grew to 260 employees by 2007, when he sold it. He was honored as 1991 Entrepreneur of the Year for Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio.

Bill was a dedicated volunteer, including as a Boy Scout leader, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, President of the local West Point Society, and on the boards of the West Point Association of Graduates and the Civilian Marksmanship Program. For 30 years he was the West Point Admissions coordinator for northern Ohio. In this position he personally helped over 650 young men and women gain admittance to and enter West Point. Bill was recognized with the USMA Admissions Distinguished Service Award in 1994 and the U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal in 1997.

Fervently believing that the USMA Corps of Cadets and Army Officer Corps should be fully representative of the country’s population, Bill was a charter member of the West Point Minority Outreach Committee and helped create the Minority Visitation Program Endowment, which enables minority candidates and their parents to visit West Point to help with their college decisions.

In 2012, Bill was named a USMA Distinguished Graduate. This award recognized his lifetime of dedicated service on the battlefield, in business, and to West Point and the broader communities in which he lived.

Bill was unfailingly enthusiastic and optimistic, which helped him repeatedly overcome adversity in his life, from childhood polio to the shattered elbow that ended his military career to twice losing his job (which he referred to as “Industrial Purple Hearts”). What many of us would see as setbacks he viewed as doors opening to new opportunities.

Bill valued and loved people most of all. He was devoted to his family and took every opportunity to tell them of his love and pride. He never missed a chance to share fellowship with his classmates and fellow soldiers. Total strangers were always potential new friends. He saw the untapped potential in people and tried to help them become their best selves. He loved staying in contact with all whose lives he touched and sharing news of their achievements with others. These included his children and grandchildren and also friends, employees, children of neighbors, and the many candidates for West Point admission. As dementia marked his last years, his core character shone through as he sought to learn the names of his many caregivers and thank them for their help. The inspirational impact he had on so many is his lasting legacy.

Despite his combat injuries, Bill was dedicated to physical fitness and adventure (sky diving at 65), and he loved rough housing with grandchildren. He never stopped striving for more and looking to climb the next mountain, regardless of his physical challenges.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Ann. They shared 63 happy years together. He fulfilled the adage that one of the best gifts a father can give his children is to love their mother. They enjoyed family vacations at Ocean Isle Beach, NC, and trips to Hawaii. Ann was an instrumental—and intentionally behind-the-scenes—contributor to his successes, managing the household and financially supporting the family during the company’s early years.

He is also survived by his three children: William F. Willoughby (Julie Sabroff) (Cleveland Heights, OH), Mary Blanchard (Brian) (Madison, WI), and John Willoughby (Kelly Morrison) (Deephaven, MN) and seven grandchildren: William N. Willoughby; William, Ben, and Allison Blanchard; and Kyra, Kate, and Rhys Willoughby. He is also survived by his sisters, Martha Cole and Christine McCarthy, and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents; by his brothers, Lawrence and James; by his niece, Rosemary; and by his cousin, Jane Whalen.

His family is forever grateful to his caregivers and all who showed their care and concern for him throughout his lifetime and during his recent years of declining health, especially family friend Yu Li.

A memorial service, followed by a visitation, will be held on September 2, 2023 at 1:00 pm at First Baptist Church, 3630 Fairmount Blvd. in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Burial with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill’s memory to the Minority Visitation Program Endowment at the West Point Association of Graduates. The family is a preparing a book of memories in Bill’s honor. If you have a story or thoughts to share, please send them to [email protected].