Alderson, William Stratton

William Stratton Alderson of Blacksburg died peacefully on December 9, 2016. He was born on March 11, 1921 in Detroit, to William H. and Irene W. Alderson.

The family with many wonderful memories of life with him include his wife of 71 years, Sarah Lee (Sally) Belt Alderson; daughter, son, and son-in-law, Mary Lee Alderson Hendricks, Robert William (Bob) Alderson, and William (Bill) Tillman Hendricks, Jr.; granddaughters and their husbands, Margie and Dave Krell, Sarah Hendricks and Peter Hurtado, Elizabeth Alderson, Mary and Dan Jaasma; and great-grandchildren Cristina and Alice Hurtado-Hendricks, Linda and Daniel Krell, Micha and Eliana Jaasma.

One of Bill’s favorite memories growing up was the YMCA, where he participated 11 years in the gymnastics program and served three years as a counselor in the summer camp. Another memory was that the high school English teacher assigned to teach geometry discovered that Bill understood the topic and ended up letting Bill teach three semesters of the class to his own classmates.

Bill received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Wayne University in 1943 and an M.S. from the University of Maryland in 1950. He served in the Navy from 1943 through 1946, where he was assigned to the Naval Research Lab in radar-related work. He continued working there through 1955, when he was appointed Section Head of Detection Studies. Then he continued research in private industry, in system analysis and trajectory calculations.

At home Bill was Scout Master of his son’s Boy Scout Troop. He and his son built an 11-foot wooden sail boat in the basement of the house. After maneuvering it out the door, they enjoyed sailing it on lakes in Virginia and New Hampshire. He and Sally supported their three younger generations in many ways. They cheered their granddaughters at their track and cross-country meets.

Bill’s caring extended beyond the family. He especially cared about children, their well-being and their education. He tutored math students at New River Community College for six years.

The family thanks Drs. Stoeckle and Hendricks and the doctors and staff at Carilion and Lewis Gale Hospitals for their care.

A celebration of Bill’s life and witness to the resurrection will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 17 at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church. The family suggests that anyone wishing to make a donation in his memory contribute to Blacksburg Presbyterian Church. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.