Foil: 62 Panel: 4 Column: 3 Line: 73

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Lisa Bradway

Billy ("Bill") Lowell Pack was born in Paintsville in eastern Kentucky on November 1, 1930 to Willie and Mary Lester Pack. In 1936 when Bill was just 5 years of age, his father was killed when he was struck by a drunk driver. His mother Mary worked and raised Bill and his younger sister Betty as a single mom with help from family. While in school Bill had various jobs to help earn money like mowing grass,working as a service station attendant, clerking at an auto parts store and helping in a radio repair shop. These jobs helped foster his love of mechanical, electrical and electronic "works".

After attending Paintsville City Schools and graduating from Paintsville High School in 1948 he went on to college. Bill first attended Morehead State College for five semesters. He transferred to the University of Kentucky to study electrical engineering, and while still a student he worked as a draftsman creating new designs at Irving Air Chute Factory in Lexington. After 5 semesters at UK Bill received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1953.

Following completion of his degree Bill obtained a job at North American Aviation, a Naval contractor, in Columbus,Ohio. At North American he was assigned to the engineering support group for the FJ-3 jet fighter which was operational at this time. He became the group leader for the FJ-3 instrument group and simultaneously was completing initial instrument design work on the new TJ-1 Naval jet trainer. When a problem arose with the FJ-3 instrument system, he was sent to the west Pacific and went aboard three aircraft carriers to investigate the fuel gauging system.

Bill left North American Aviation in 1957 for a position as Electrical Engineer at Ashland Oil & Refining Company in Ashland, Kentucky, returning to eastern Kentucky. Bill retired in 1992 as Manager of Electrical Engineering and Electrical construction for all Ashland Oil refineries and terminals in the United States. Later one of two million dollar power substations built at Number 2 refinery in Catlettsburg, Kentucky would be named the Pack Substation in honor of his years of service and contributions to the company.

Bill's love of aviation began in childhood. During his life Bill has been a passenger on over forty nine types of aircraft (airplanes and helicopters) with the first ride on a Ford Trimotor. He recounts his most memorable rides were first in a PBY which landed in the bay at Sasebo, Japan to allow him to travel in a launch across the bay to the anchored USS Bennington, and then a COD (carrier on deck) landing aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard. He passed his love of aviation on to his daughter who obtained her private pilot's license at age 38. Bill continues to reside in Kentucky and enjoys spending time with family, fixing things around the house, reading (especially aviation magazines), watching tv, and researching topics online.