William Behrens "Bill" Blythe

William Behrens Blythe, 87 of Hoover, Alabama, passed away on Tuesday May 7th, 2019. An accomplished Engineer and Naval Veteran, Bill is survived by his wife of 64 years, Geraldine “Gerri”; his six children, Bill Blythe (Regina), Lynn Stoudt (Chuck), Debbie Blythe (Sue Calloway), Melanie Coultas (Chris), Melissa White (Mike) and Ryan Blythe; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1931, Bill served in the United States Navy during the Korean War and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology. While a student at Georgia Tech, Bill met a beautiful young woman from Savannah, Georgia, whom he would marry on September 19th, 1954, at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta. With a promising career in Environmental and Instrumental Engineering, Bill and Gerri would move numerous times including stops in Atlanta, Boston, Mobile, Philadelphia and Pensacola. In each city they found a new church home and would become active members. Bill retired from the General Electric Corporation as Sales Manager in the Power Generation division. He was very proud to have worked for what was at the time one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Always giving back, Bill volunteered for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) mentoring prospective and established small business owners. A sportsman and deep-sea fishing enthusiast, Bill enjoyed watching baseball, basketball and football, especially his beloved Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Bill was quite proud of the award-winning sailfish he caught at the Miami Sport Fishing Rodeo in the early seventies.

Bill remained proud of his involvement in politics and believed that freedom came with responsibility. In their final move, Bill and Gerri lived in Hoover, Alabama, where they enjoyed watching the nationally prominent Hoover High School football team, worshipped at Saint Albans Episcopal Church, patronized the local fish market and hosted their large family spread across the Southeast and Mid Atlantic. Bill enjoyed many hours with his beloved office partner, the cat he rescued named Lucy.

Bill’s enduring legacy is the success of his children, as he stressed education and instilled a strong work ethic in his six children who include professionals in business, healthcare, education and three entrepreneurs.

A Military Funeral Honors Ceremony will be held at 9:30 AM on Monday, May 20th, at Barrancas National Cemetery overlooking Pensacola Bay in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

In lieu of flowers, the family would kindly request donations be made to St. Albans Episcopal Church, 429 Cloudland Drive, Hoover, AL 35226.