William "Bill" Gettinger

William 'Bill' Gettinger, 87, of Escondido, CA, died at 4:35 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. He was born November 3, 1928 in Palestine, IL, the son of William Kenneth Gettinger & Mary Houser Gettinger, both of whom preceded him in death. Bill married Judith Lueva Osborn on August 28, 1954, and she preceded him in death on October 15, 2001. He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Mary Gail Gettinger Coates and Rebecca Gettinger Van Cleve. He is survived by his sons & daughters-in-law, Douglas A. Gettinger (Vista, CA), Daniel K. & Kristine Gettinger (San Marcos, CA), Dale E. & Nancy Gettinger (Corona, CA), and Dean S. & Diana Gettinger (Pewaukee, WI); his grandchildren, Anja Turner (Ardmore, PA), Matthew Gettinger (Atlanta, GA), Katrina Ceparano (Austin, TX), Amanda Kalkannis (Corona, CA), Makenna Heliker (Corona, CA), Alec Gettinger (San Marcos, CA), and Samantha Gettinger (San Marcos, CA); his great-grandchildren, Ella Turner (Ardmore, PA), Juliet Kalkannis (Corona, CA), Colette Kalkannis (Corona, CA), Nicholas Heliker (Corona, CA), and Charlotte Heliker (Corona, CA); his sister, Jane Hoff (Lafayette, IN); as well as several nieces and nephews. Bill was a 1946 graduate of Palestine High School. He proudly went on to serve his country in the U.S. Army Air Force and Marine Corps following World War II and into Korea, in which time he earned the World War II Victory Medal, the Naval Occupation Award, the Victory Ribbon, and the American Theater Award. Following his years of service, he went on to graduate from California State University at Long Beach in the Class of 1970, where he received a BA in Economics. He worked for a number of years at Sears and ended there as a shipping and receiving manager. He later managed an equipment and general goods rental business. He also taught elementary school for a few years in the mid-1970s. Bill spent his retirement years with Judy living and traveling the United States, visiting old friends and making many new ones, all while living full-time in their RV. They were able to enjoy a cruise to Alaska and a trip to Hawaii. In later years, he was able to travel with family and friends to Ireland, Italy and Poland. In addition to being a world traveler, Bill was an avid reader, and could often be found reading historical or biographical books. A time of visitation will be held from 9:00-11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 19th at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Palestine. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, with burial following at the Oak Grove Cemetery in rural Palestine. Memorial contributions may be made to Crossties Ministries or to the Palestine Preservation Projects Society (PPPS), with envelopes available at the funeral home.