Obituary of William J. Webbe

Home: Otisville, New York USA Place of Birth: Flushing, New York USA William J. Webbe Sr. Otisville, NY formerly of Long Island and White Lake, NY William J. Webbe Sr. of Otisville and formerly of Long Island and a longtime resident of White Lake, N.Y. passed away on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 with his children at his side. He was a devoted husband to the late Helen Webbe who preceded him to heaven last year in 2012. A devoted father to daughter Deborah Webbe-LoGerfo of Long Island, and son William J. Webbe Jr., of Liberty, NY, he is also survived by daughter-in-law Raquel Webbe, grandchild Lizette Andino-Berrios, great-grandchild Jesse Bradford, and his beloved grandsons Staff Sgt. Nicholas William Webbe and Cadet 3rd Class Vincent Anthony Webbe, both of the United States Air Force. Bill was born and raised in Flushing, New York. A year after graduation he enlisted in the Army for one year Universal Military Training. He was recalled in 1950 to serve in Korea with the 25th Inf. Division, 27th Inf. "Wolfhounds " Regiment, Company M, Heavy Weapons and was assigned to I Company Infantry as a Forward Observer for the 81mm mortars on the front line. He returned home in October 1951 and was presented the Bronze Star Medal at Governor's Island in 1952 for action against the enemy. Single-handedly Bill captured an entire Chinese Mortar Squad while crossing the Han River in Korea. Despite the rudimentary Chinese language the soldiers had been taught "Stick'm Up!" was the phrase he used and it soon became the phrase of legend in our family. Bill's regiment was among the last of the UN troops out of Seoul when the Lincoln Line collapsed. He returned home to New York and in June of that year in 1952 he married his high school sweetheart, Helen Reichelt, who had waited for him for four long years. Their marriage would last for sixty years until her passing. Bill "Many-Men" was a name he was known by in the primitive rendezvous circles because he had his hands into everything. He was on the Port Washington Police Force and left that position to attend the Germane School of Photography, after which he opened his own studio, "Town and Country Photography." Our family would not have the enormous history of pictures we have from our early years together were it not for our dad carrying around his 4x5 speed graphic camera. Bill had a deep love for nature and animals. He was an expert marksman, a Black Powder enthusiast, the "mountain-man" at Ft. Delaware entertaining children and adults with his animated showmanship, a private investigator, a sheriff, and a watercolor artist. In 1992 he took the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Firearms Instructor for Security Concepts Training Academy. On Veteran's Day of 1998 surrounded by over one hundred guests, the Korean Government, under the representation of Col. Song Ho Kim presented Bill "The Ambassador of Peace Medal" in Liberty, New York. He wrote his first short story, "My Brother and Me," that was published in the Good Old Days Magazine along with many other short stories, as well as a history on Black Powder which is used as a reference guide in the Bayville Public Library. And for all of us who one day dream of writing a novel, at the age of 80, our dad wrote and published his first, "We be Family You and I". A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday October 12, 2013 at 12:30PM at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 45 Highland Ave., Otisville, NY. Funeral arrangements are by Ramsay's Funeral Homes Inc. Kauneonga Lake, NY. To send a condolence or for further information, visit www.ramsaysfuneralhome.com.