Captain William James Weatherspoon

March 5, 1947 - April 19, 2021

Captain William James Weatherspoon was born March 5, 1947 in Fulton, Kentucky to James Lowell and Sara Shaw Weatherspoon. In 1950, the family moved to Lone Oak, KY where he attended all 12 years of school with many lifelong friends. After graduating, he spent a year at the US Naval Academy before joining the US Naval Reserve and returning to Lone Oak to begin working at Ohio Valley Aviation gassing airplanes, taking flying lessons, and accruing flying time. He next attended Purdue University to earn a degree in Aeronautical Engineering through their Aviation Department. He was forever indebted to Professor Charles Holleman for arranging an interview for him with American Airlines. He was hired in 1973 and retired in 2007 after having flown the MD-80, Boeing 727, 757, 767, and 777. In 1977 he married Katherine Good, a TWA flight attendant, and they celebrated 44 years together April 11th. They had two children, and he threw himself into being a soccer coach, swim official, camping/hiking/horseback riding dad. After retirement, he flew for Stebbins Aviation in Longview, TX and enjoyed getting back into General Aviation where he had gotten his start. On April 19, 2021 he took his Cessna 340A on a maintenance flight and never returned. He is survived by his wife, brother and sister-in-law Ken and Liz Weatherspoon, children Madeline and Audrey Weatherspoon, and special friends for life Terry and Carolyn Massa.