Col. Donald W. "Bill" Easley

Col. Donald W. "Bill" Easley, 90, of Columbia, SC, passed away Tuesday March 15, 2022 in South Carolina. He was a Freeport native and graduate of the Freeport Sr. High School Class of 1949.  He was the son of the late Melvin "Pat" and Kathryn (Trefelner) Easley. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for 34 years. He earned many accomplishments, too many to list.  He received letters of gratitude for his service form President George W. Bush.   Upon his retirement, Bill moved to South Carolina where he enjoyed golf and a good scotch.  He had many great stories of his service to his county and wore his uniform proudly.

He is survived by his daughter Terri LaVelle, of Ohio, and 3 grandchildren living in Tennessee. Bill is also survived by nephews Ed, Dan & Gary Spangler and Bob, Mark & Allen Cunningham and niece Susan (Cunningham) McLean, all of the Freeport and Sarver area, and many more nieces and nephews.    Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter Ellen Birchfield and his sisters, Toots Spangler &  Betty Cunningham.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air…

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew –
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

                                                                                                                   John Gillespie Magee

                                                                                                                        aviator and poet

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