William H. Darragh

William H. Darragh, of Richlandtown, formerly of Souderton, Horsham, Hatboro, and Lansdowne, passed over on Thursday, February 19, in Phoebe Richland Health Care Center, Richlandtown. He was the beloved husband of Kathryn E. (Schober) Darragh for 66 years. He was 90.

Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late William and Sarah (Gaston) Darragh.

He was Irish-Protestant by faith.

Mr. Darragh was a proud U.S. Navy veteran, having served aboard ship as a coxswain in the European and Pacific Theaters of Operation during World War II. He served from December 1942 through January 1946.

A 1947 graduate of Highland Park High School, Delaware County, he completed his education after his return from military service.

Bill had worked with his father, building houses on the Philadelphia Main Line. He later had been employed for many years, first as a draftsman and later as an inspector of inspectors at nuclear power plants for Schutte & Koerting, of Philadelphia and Stone & Webster, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, from which he retired.

When his children were young, Bill had been active with the Boy Scouts and Explorers Scouts. He had also been a member of the North Pennsmen Barbershop Chorus, Good Sam RV Club, and Thousand Trails Campgrounds.

With his wife, Bill had spent ten and a half years travelling across the country in their fifth wheel RV. A trained pilot, he had flown Piper Cubs. His “call sign” was “Sweet William.”

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, bird watching, and woodworking. Bill also liked to make wine, attend motorcycle racing and car shows, go on Sunday drives with his family, especially in the snow, and join his friends in the local pub.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his three children: Janet Darragh Schmell and her husband, Charles, of Green Lane; William Stephen Darragh and his wife, Ginger, of Monterey, Virginia; James Cameron Darragh and his wife, Nora, of Hot Springs, Virginia; three grandchildren: Heather Wenonah Gross, of Statesville, North Carolina; Christian Camron Darragh, of Waynesboro, Virginia; Alice Gallagher, of Monterey, Virginia; two great-grandchildren, Brittany Prentice Fink and Nathan Prentice; and one great-great-grandson, Daniel Aaron Fink.

A visitation will be held from 10 -11 a.m. on Saturday, February 28, in the Betty Meier Steeley Funeral Home, 87 North Main Street, Sellersville, PA, with his funeral service beginning at 11 a.m.

Interment with full military honors will follow in Whitemarsh Memorial Park, Prospectville.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Mr. Darragh’s name may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675 or online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.