William "Bill" Tharp

THARP, William (Bill), age 97, of Dayton, Ohio, previously of Hendersonville, NC passed away Saturday, April 24, 2021. Bill was born to the late Irvin and Georgia (Hummerich) Tharp in Dayton on July 23, 1923.

He was a graduate of Fairview High School. He joined the Army Air Force during the war and served as a flight engineer on the B29s assigned to the 498 Bomb Group, 874th Squadron stationed in the south pacific. When the war ended he was hired by Eastern Air Lines. While attending training classes in California he met his wife of 72 years, Connie Nicoletti. Connie passed away in July of 2020. While they were married the couple built their first home in northern NJ. It was during this time they raised their two sons, Richard (Rick) and William (Bill) Tharp. At that time Bill was flying for Eastern but many years later he worked for Pan American Airlines as a Flight Engineer Instructor. Pan Am eventually moved all their training facilities to Miami, FL which is where Bill retired. Missing the more dramatic season changes of locales further to the north, Bill and Connie moved to the north west section of North Carolina, just south of Ashville. While Bill lived in N.C. he was an active member of the Kiwanis club. In August of 2017, Bill and Connie decided to live out their final days back where it all started so they moved to Dayton. He had a good sense of humor and loved joking and laughing with people. He was a firm believer that someone’s true wealth can be measured in the amount of true friendships they possess. Bill was a wealthy man in that regard. It’s something he has passed on to his sons.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, and his two sisters, Margret Johnson of Reseda, CA., and Phyllis Elliott of Dayton, OH. He is survived by his two sons, numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

At his request, there will be no services. At some future date, Bill and Connie’s cremains will be buried at the Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery and Mausoleum, attended by the family and a small recognition of his military service.

If desired, friends may make memorial contributions to Hospice of Dayton. Please leave condolences for the family on Bill’s tribute page at www.routesong.com