Edgar William Lorson

Edgar William “Bill” Lorson was born on March 5, 1937, in Staunton, Illinois. He was the son of Edgar and Emma Lorson and spent his childhood and formative years in Staunton. He was shaped by a strong family heritage of hard work, faith, and service. His grandfather Lorson was a coal miner and his grandfather Turbock, a farmer. Bill’s father served honorably in the 3rd Infantry Division during World War II before working in a brass mill after his discharge. Bill carried this legacy of dedication, discipline, and service throughout his life.

Bill attended St. Michael’s Catholic School and graduated from Staunton Community High School. He earned a scholarship to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut where he was a standout student and athlete, playing football, baseball, and lacrosse. He was awarded “Most Valuable Football Player” in his undefeated season his senior year. He also served as president of Deke Fraternity. Bill graduated with honors in engineering in 1958 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force through the ROTC program.

Bill later earned a Master of Science degree in Rocket Propulsion from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He served 21 years in the United States Air Force, including as a navigator for C-130’s. In the years 1966-1967, Bill flew over 2000 hours in Vietnam. During his Air Force career, he also served as an Air Force Academy instructor in the Aerospace Engineering Department. He was a technical intelligence analyst as well. Bill retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having earned several meritorious service awards and Air Force commendation medals.

Following his military retirement, Bill continued his distinguished engineering career with Copeland Corporation and later as an aerospace engineer at Teledyne Brown Engineering. In a career of notable achievements, one of Bill’s greatest was serving as the U.S. Microgravity Laboratory-1, STS-50 Project Manager. The flight crew presented Bill with the patch they wore on the Orbiter, Columbia shuttle during the longest shuttle flight to date from June 25-July 9, 1992. The shuttle carried 31 experiments.

In 1968, Bill married Joann Wehrle, the love of his life. Their marriage of 57 years was marked with devotion, a true partnership, joy, and shared purpose. Bill and Joann devoted much of their lives to service together. They spent ten years teaching Catholic education (CCD), tutoring under-resourced children, and volunteering extensively in both Catholic and public schools. When their son Billy was young, they served as Boy Scout leaders, supporting him on his journey to becoming an Eagle Scout.

In 1999, Bill and Joann built a home on a golf course in Leesburg, Florida, where they lived for 17 years—and where Bill proudly taught Joann to golf. An avid golfer, Bill delighted in his three holes-in-one, one of which memorably won him a golf cart. Both Bill and Joann were deeply involved in their church community, volunteering, singing in the choir, tutoring children, and living out their faith through service. Their shared faith anchored their marriage. They prayed the rosary together every single day and believed deeply in modeling their values and making a difference when and wherever they could.

Joann affectionately called Bill her “Fly Boy,” a tribute to his 21 years of Air Force service, and flying 5 different aircrafts. Together, they embraced life fully. After raising their children, they traveled extensively—to China, Russia, throughout Europe, and across the United States—attending Broadway shows in New York City and marveling at sled dogs in Alaska. They danced whenever they had the chance and found joy in simple moments together. They were also committed supporters and fundraisers for the Orlando Ballet for 17 years.

Even with their many accomplishments, Bill and Joann often said their greatest success was raising their two children, followed closely by their wonderful son-in-law and three grandchildren.

Bill was a true patriot who loved his country. He flew his country’s flag with great pride every single day. He remained engaged in politics his whole life, both locally and nationally. He viewed it as his civic duty to stay informed and was more than happy to discuss the issues with anyone who wanted. He wrote 95 editorials to The Orlando Sentinel, all of which were published.

In recent years, as Bill faced significant health challenges and nine major surgeries, Joann remained by his side. Together, they watched more than 155 movies—each carefully recorded in Bill’s journals. They continued to live their values through civic engagement, with Bill making more than 900 phone calls to support his favorite presidential candidate. He proudly served as president of the Democratic Club in Leesburg.

Bill will be remembered for his intellect, deep faith, devotion to family, service to country, gratitude and appreciation for each day, and perhaps most important, the level of integrity in which he lived.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife Joann; his daughter, Kristi Leonard of Davidson, North Carolina, his son William “Billy” Lorson of Alexandria, Virginia, his son-in-law Paul Leonard, and his grandchildren Matthew, Sarah, and Kate.

Bill would have been 89 years old on March 5.

Bill was extremely philanthropic and supported many organizations. Most recently, he was passionate about supporting Alzheimer’s research. He was determined to play a role in ending this insidious disease for good. To that end, in lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.