Bill F. Lail

Bill F. Lail, 86, passed away peacefully after a sudden illness on Monday, January 9th, 2012 with his family by his side in Abilene, Texas. With heavy hearts we celebrate his life as a devoted husband, loving father, adoring grandfather, and proud great-grandfather. Funeral services will be at 11:00 AM Saturday, Jan. 14th at The Hamil Family Funeral Home Chapel, 6449 Buffalo Gap Rd. with Chaplain E.J. Chafin officiating. Burial will follow at the Bluff Creek Cemetery in South Taylor County, Texas. The family will receive friends for visitation from 6-8 PM on Friday, Jan. 13th at the funeral home. Bill was born in Los Angeles, California on April 23, 1925 to P.F. and Mary Arnold (Massengale) Lail. At the early age of 17 he joined the Army Air Corps during WW II. He trained and mastered the skills to become a P-51 Fighter Pilot serving in the Pacific theater. While on a 3 day leave, prior to his deployment to Okinawa, he married his sweetheart and love of his life, Helen Loraine Fennell, in Salinas, California on July 30, 1945. He was a proud and patriotic WW II veteran. Upon his return at the end of the war, he and Helen began their reunited lives together in Southern California. He was partner in Philyaw & Lail Engineering in El Segundo, California. There they made aircraft parts and contracted with NASA for work done on the Lunar Modular Space Surveyor. With trips back and forth to Texas and the family ranch at Bluff Creek, he returned permanently with his family in the early 70's. Within a few more years, he branched out to purchase 2 more ranches for cattle and minerals, striking oil on his Happy Valley Ranch. His other hobbies and interests were vast and never ending. His love of flying had him building model airplanes. He was the first to build and design retractable landing gears and model airplane engines from top down. With his inventive mind and creative abilities, he went on to many projects. He worked for many years in his quest of designing a better hydrogen engine to his most recent gold extracting machine. Bill was recently preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Helen. Bill is survived by his 3 children (son) Gary William Lail and wife Pati, from Chandler, Arizona, (daughter) Connie Louise Lail Jones and husband Tom from Abilene, Texas, (son) James Floyd Lail and wife Barbara from Abilene, Texas; one very loving sister, Jean Lail Milternberger from Dallas Texas, and a favorite cousin, Theresa Goller from Dana Pt., California. He also leaves behind eleven grandchildren, Celeste, Candice, Loren - Christopher, Patrick, Amber - Heather, Samantha, Brandi, Phillip, and Ryan; seven beautiful great-grandchildren, Krista, Dillion, Taylor, Ethan, Mackenzie, Dylan, Gavin and an eighth to be born this year. The family wishes to thank Dr. Joseph Ferguson and the dedicated nurses at Hendrick Medical Center for their wonderful care during our father's last few days. We are very grateful. Bill would be honored for any remembrances made on his behalf to the Wounded Warriors Project.