Canty Jr., William Sinclair

William Sinclair Canty Jr., 88, of Pulaski, formerly of Sterling, passed away Wednesday, November 13, 2013, at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center after a short illness. Bill was born to the late William Sinclair and Mary Jane Lally Canty in Evanston, Ill. on April 20, 1925, and attended school in Decatur, Ill.

He joined the Marine Corps at age 17 and served five and a half years during World War II as an enlisted Corsair F4U pilot and a control tower operator. After leaving the service, he began a long and successful career as an Air Traffic Controller; first at several smaller airports in Michigan before transferring to Willow Run Airport outside Detroit and Chicago-Midway International Airport. He last transferred to Washington National Airport in 1963, where he worked his way up to Facilities Operation Officer until he retired in 1984, after 41½ years of service. One of his proudest achievements was being selected as an integral part of the control tower team at the U.S. International Transportation Exposition (Transpo ’72) at Dulles International Airport.

He was a member of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Sterling, and most recently St. Edward Catholic Church in Pulaski. He served on the local and regional level of the Parent Teacher Association and was an active member of the Richland Acres Homeowners Association. His membership in the Sterling Ruritan Club spanned many years, serving as past president, Zone Governor and Chairman of the District Citizenship and Patriotism Committee. He was recognized as a “Ruritan Forever” in 2011, an accomplishment of which he was extremely proud.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; and by his grandson, Gregory Joseph Canty.

A devoted husband and loving father, he is survived by his wife of 61 years, Carol J. (Clark) Canty; and five children, William “Chip” Canty, of Boston, Mass.; Debbie (Dan) Grubb, of Pulaski; Eileen (Kenny) Coleman, of Olmstead, Ky.; Greg (Lynn) Canty, of Alpharetta, Ga.; and Carla (Richard) Scott, of Bent Mountain. Grandchildren include Jennifer Canty, Bradley Grubb, Alex and Ben Canty, and Kendall and Kemper Scott; adopted grandchild, Son Ngo; and stepgrandchildren, Kelly (Jason) Chapman and Ryan (Erin) Coleman; and seven great-grandchildren.

A funeral mass will be conducted in Pulaski at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 18, 2013, at St. Edward Catholic Church, followed by a gravesite service with full military honors at the Southwest Virginia Veteran’s Cemetery in Dublin.

In honor of Bill’s selfless and giving spirit, the family asks in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Gregory J. Canty Research Award or to a charity of your choice in Bill’s name. Donations to the award can be sent via UVA Engineering Foundation, P.O. Box 400256, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4256 www.seas.virginia.edu/support. Please indicate Gregory J. Canty Research Award in “Special Instructions” box or note on the check.

Arrangements by Stevens Funeral Home, Pulaski.