William Carl ''Bill'' Thorleifson

Bill Thorleifson, 76, of Clarakdale, Arizona died Tuesday, December 2nd, ending a valiant struggle against the effects of a heart attack and pneumonia. Bill was born on July, 26, 1927 in Vancouver, Canada. He was an outstanding swimmer as a youth, becoming the Canadian National Freestyle Champion in 1943. As a young man, Bill worked in the logging camps of British Columbia and on the construction of the Al-Can Highway. He accepted an officer\u0027s commission in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1948 and was assigned to the 434th Fighter Squadron in 1952. Bill flew combat air patrol in his F-86 Sabre fighter jet along the Iron Curtain during the early years of the Cold War. He met his wife Alexandra Jablow, on his European tour of duty. Alex and Bill were married in Zweibrucken, Germany in 1954. Bill resigned his commission and in 1957 and emigrated to the U.S. with his wife. They settled in Tucson, Arizona and fell in love with the desert southwest. Bill became a naturalized citizen in 1962 and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1964 with a B.Sc. in Engineering. Over the course of his long and successful career, Bill worked as a power systems engineer for Pratt \u0026 Whitney, General Electric, Garrett AirResearch, Fluor, EnDyne, and Cogen Technologies. Bill retired from Cogen in 1996 and moved back to Arizona with Alex to enjoy retirement in the high desert country. While Bill achieved much in life, he will best be remembered by his family as a loving husband, father and grandfather. Bill is survived by his wife of 49 years, Alex; his mother-in-law, Kitty Normington; his sons Tracy and Dane; his daughters-in-law, Nancy and Tracy; and his grandchildren, Paige, Dane, Eric and Ian. All who loved Bill will miss him sorely, but we look forward to the life of the world to come, and a joyous reunion in the presence of our Creator. For those who wish, memorial donations in Bill\u0027s name may be made to the Weimaraner Foundation Fund, Rescue Committee, 324 Sundrew Dr., Belleville, IL, 62221. Westcott Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.