William (Bill) Pine Neally, age 95, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2022, of causes incident with age. William was born in Kirksville, Missouri, to John Jay Neally and Ellen Edna Bruce. He grew up in Missouri on a farm during the great depression and enlisted in the Navy at the beginning of WWII. After boot camp, he was sent to Pearl Harbor right after the attack. During WWII and the Korean War, he survived five Pacific invasions. After the wars, when the Apollo 8 Mission space capsule splashed down in the Pacific, William operated the crane that pulled the astronauts and space capsule out of the water and onto the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier.

His Naval career lasted for 22 years. After retiring from the Navy, he worked as a crane operator for the Navy Public Works in Long Beach, California; and later in Norfolk, Virginia. He and his wife Geraldine retired in a home on the river in Edenton, North Carolina. They later moved to Arizona where they spent their remaining years.

William was preceded in death by his Parents, siblings and wife of 53 years, Geraldine (Thornhill) Neally. Having no children, his legal guardian and caregiver for many years was his niece, Beverly Ann (Neally) Crawford. Email: cb922266@gmail.com.

Interment next to his wife in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, will take place at a later date.

Arrangements were placed into the care of Walker Sanderson funeral home. Thoughts and condolences may be submitted to the family at: www.walkersanderson.com