William Roche

Obituary William "Bill" Francis Roche, 91 of Newport, NC died on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at home with family. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 29, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Egbert Catholic Church, Morehead City, NC with the Rev. Thomas R. Davis officiating. Bill was born August 13, 1924 in Bayonne, NJ to William F. and Mary A. Roche. Bill grew up in Fanwood, NJ and graduated Scotch Plains HS in 1941. He spent time in the Merchant Marines before attending Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. One year later he enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Cornell University in New York. The Navy then transferred him to the Advanced Officers Training Program at Georgia Tech. He was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy. He served on two aircraft carriers, USS Langley and USS Tulagi, during WWII in the Pacific Theater. He reached the rank of Lieutenant JG and was honorably discharged in 1946. He went back to Georgia Tech to complete his studies and graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Bill married Terese Ann Decker in 1949. He went to work for Gibbs and Cox in New York City designing marine power plants for the Navy and the SS United States. He made the maiden voyage on the SS United States from New York to Southampton, England and back in 1952 when it won the Blue Ribbon Medal for fastest Trans-Atlantic crossing. He left Gibbs and Cox in 1955 to work for Combustion Engineering in Windsor Locks, CT designing nuclear powered submarines and power plants. He worked for CE in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Ohio before retiring in 1989 and moving to Newport, NC. He loved sailing, boating, deep-sea fishing and spending time with his family. He is survived by his sons, William of Durango, CO; Mark (Myra) of Morehead City, NC; Thomas of Seneca, SC; Michael (Sally) of Mauldin, SC; Matthew (Kay) of New Milford, CT; Christopher of San Francisco, CA and grandchildren Tracy, Kelly, Tony, Lauren, Meghan, Hannah, Katherine and great-grandchildren Prestin, Camryn, Morgan. He was preceded in death by his wife, Terry in 2002. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Egbert Catholic Church, 1706 Evans Street, Morehead City, NC 28557-4033. Mass of Christian Burial 11:00 a.m. ,Friday, July 29, 2016 St. Egbert Catholic Church 1706 Evans Steet Morehead City, NC 28557 Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of William Roche