Cover photo for Walter Joseph Wills's Obituary
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1927 Walter 2008

Walter Joseph Wills

July 18, 1927 — November 5, 2008

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 AM Saturday at St Mary's Church in Mineral Ridge for Walter Joseph Wills, 81, of Austintown who passed away Wednesday morning in Select Specialty Hospital Boardman campus. Walter Joseph Wills, son of William J. and Catherine A (Lowry) Wills was born July 18, 1927 in Youngstown. He was a carpenter by trade and worked for several contractors before taking a position as a carpenter for the Boardman Local Schools, where he retired from in 1992. He was a 1944 graduate of the Rayen School, and a Marine Corps Veteran of World War II. He was a member and twice past president of Youngstown Aerie #213 F.O.E., and was also a member and the first president of Austintown Aerie #3298 F.O.E., of which he was one of the organizers in 1966. It was reported in the Eagle magazine a few years ago that he was the youngest eagle member to serve in the armed forces. He also held offices in the district, and zone, and was a state officer of the F.O.E. for 3 years. Walter helped form the Boy Scout Troop #56 at the Eagles Aerie #213 in 1950, and was a leader there for 29 years, moving to Troop #3 in 1979 where he was currently a leader. He is a recipient of "Scouter of the Year" and the St. George Medal from the Catholic committee on Scouting. He was also awarded the District Award of Merit, and the silver Beaver Award form the Local Scout Council. Walter is also a vigil member of the Order of the Arrow. He has led a Boy Scout Trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, and attended training at Philmont twice for "Working with Scouts with Disabilities". He took wilderness survival training twice at the former scout training center at Camp Schiff in New Jersey. He led a contingent of scouts to a national scout jamboree, and was a national staff member at four others working on the "Handicapped Awareness Trail". Walter led troop #3 at a Canadian national jamboree, held at Guelph, Ontario in 1986, and attended a US- Canadian jamboree in Congden Creek, Yukon Territory for the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Highway. He also led 3 contingents of American scouts to Australian National Scout Jamborees in Adelaide in 1973, Melbourne in 1976, and Perth in 1979, and visited World Boy Scout Jamborees in Lillehammer, Norway in 1975, Alberta, Canada in 1983, Sydney, Australia in 1988 and Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1995. Walter was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mineral Ridge and a member of its men's club. Also he volunteered one day a week at the V.A. Hospital in Butler PA. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife the former Velma L. Goddard, whom he married May 31, 1952, she passed away December 23, 2003, a son Thomas P. Wills, and two brothers, Clarence H. Wills and Edward R. Wills. Walter is survived by two sons David E. Wills and William J. Wills both of Austintown, and two daughters, Catherine A. Demczyk of Medina, Ohio and Nancy J. Colbrunn of Spotsylvania, Virginia, a brother, David A. Wills of Silver Springs, MD, and 9 grandchildren. He enjoyed bowling, golf, hunting and traveling the world, having been on all 7 continents. Friends may call from 5 to 8 PM Friday at the Lane Funeral Home Austintown Chapel. Donations may be made to Troop #3 of the Boy Scouts in care of the Western Reserve United Methodist Church in Walter name.

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Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Friday, November 7, 2008

5:00 - 8:00 pm (Eastern time)

Lane Funeral Home Austintown Chapel

5797 Mahoning Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44515

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Memorial Service in the Near Future

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Starts at 10:00 am (Eastern time)

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