William Peter Bilsback

Bill was born in Bergen, Norway, November 26, 1921.  He came to America at six months old.  A little brother, Malvin, was born six years later. During the depression years, he was sent to Norway to live with his grandparents.  These formative years spent in Norway would make him forever proud of his Norwegian heritage.  Two years later he returned to the United States, finished school, worked briefly at the 1939 World's Fair and eventually enlisted in the Coast Guard.  Because of the language similarities between Norwegian and Danish, he spent a brief period of time in Iceland.  Most of his duty was in the South Pacific, he made eleven landings on Guadacanal and was involved in landings on Bougainville in the Solomons.  He was present at the surrender in Tokyo.  From this experience he made life-long friends.  When his ship, the Hunter-Liggett, began having reunions he was an active participant.  He was a member of the Guadacanal Campaign Veteran's Association.  While still in the Navy, he married Lillian Christiansen.  His first daughter, Carol, was born in 1945.  The marriage would produce two more daughters, Christine and Caren.  After the Navy, Bill found a career in industrial refrigeration, beginning with an engineering firm answering service calls.  Together with a PE, Bill O'Mahoney, they began designing systems for breweries, bakeries and ice skating rinks.  At one time he was the foremost expert on Freon rinks. They built the Islander's home rink. They formed their own company, Engineered Cold Systems.  They were global.  They put a baking plant in Kuwait, ten years before the Gulf Wars.  He met his second wife, Joan, in the late fifties.  They married and had two sons, Bruce and Christopher.  Bay Ridge, Brooklyn was home.  Bill loved what he did.  He loved traveling, working with people, solving problems and seeing his systems work.  In the early nineties, Bill discovered Seabrook.  He had his private island!!  He swam North Edisto every day.  He and his beloved Cavaliers were a fixture on the beach.  Bill belonged to the turtle patrol and volunteered at the S.C. Aquarium for six years.  On an aquarium sponsored trip to Costa Rica, in his eighties he was the oldest person to ride a zip line five miles above sea level.  The last four years were not so good.  Two broken hips took their toll on his mobility.  He was confined to sitting in the sun on the front deck.  Bill was very close to his family.  He and his daughters adored each other.  He and his sons had unbreakable bonds.  He was proud of his children and grandchildren and their many accomplishments.  Who knows on a warm day when the light is right you might catch a glimpse of him frolicking with the dolphins in North Edisto.

Bill is survived by Joan Bilsback, his wife and companion, for more than fifty years; three daughters, Carol Hille (Clifford) of Brooklyn, NY, Christine Rendeiro (Alfred) of Allentown, NJ and Caren B. Lorraine (Peter) of Westport, CT; two sons, Bruce Bilsback (Dawn) of Summerville and Christopher (Theresa) Bilsback of Jacksonville, NC; a sister-in-law, Maire Bilsback of Rochester, NY; twelve grandchildren; sixteen great grandchildren; and four nieces and nephews.  Bill was predeceased by his brother, Malvin Bilsback.

The relatives and friends of Bill and Joan Bilsback are invited to attend a celebration of his life Sunday, January 9, 2011, at J. HENRY STUHR, INC., WEST ASHLEY CHAPEL, at 1 pm. 

Memorials may be made to the South Carolina Aquarium Turtle Hospital, 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC  29401.