Munford, Jr., Thomas William
Thomas William “Bill” Munford, Jr., 85, of Blacksburg, Va. died on May 18, 2016. He was the son of the late Colonel Thomas William Munford, Sr. and Mary Rustin Munford. He was preceded in death by his three sisters, Mary Frances Wayne of Sara Sota, FL, Patricia O’Connor Jacobs of Las Cruces, NM and Tommie Lee Thomas of High Point, NC.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joan Hardie Munford of Blacksburg and daughter and son-in law, Mary Munford Harder and David Lloyd Harder of Blacksburg, two grandsons, James and Benjamin Harder and two great grandchildren.
Born in Galveston, TX, Bill lived in many parts of the world during his childhood due to his father’s military career. Finally, his father became a Professor of Military Science and Tactics and later the Commandant at V.P.I. in the late 1940s and 50s. During that time, Bill graduated from Blacksburg High School, where he also met the love of his life, Joan Hardie, whom he later married. He studied Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech. Bill then served as a radio and communications expert in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and was stationed in Itazuke Air Force Base in Fukuoka, Japan.
Bill and Joan later settled in Blacksburg, where they were involved in many different businesses. He was also an avid supporter of Joan’s political career as a Virginia state legislator. Bill retired from Federal Mogul in the 1990s.
Throughout his life, Bill had a special fondness for cats. He was an enthusiastic outdoorsman and loved hunting, fishing and target shooting. In the 1980s, he won awards at the International Schuetzenfest in Denver, Colorado. He was an accomplished gun smith and was a member of the Izaak Walton League and the Order of the Odd Fellows.
A memorial service and family visitation will be held at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church on Thursday, May 21 at 3:30 p.m.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or the Humane Society of Montgomery County P.O. Box 287, Blacksburg, VA 24063.