Maybe you remember a man because he inspired you to excel; or you were touched by the way his sense of honor kept things in perspective; or that his easy-going manner belied an intense determination; or perhaps that his cadet nicknames of “Wild Bill” and “Smash” still manage to bring a smile to your face. William Arthur Illingworth III was a man we remember for those reasons and many more.
William Arthur Illingworth III grew up in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island with his older sister Barbara. Excelling at academics, sports and leadership at Tabor Academy paved the way for Bill’s appointment to join the West Point Class of 1969 in July 1965. Those who were fortunate enough to know Bill as a cadet have lasting stories of his innate leadership, boundless enthusiasm, humor, zest for life, selflessness and determination, including:
- Pinning the tail of a recently deceased raccoon to the back of his unsuspecting roommate’s dress coat for the march to the Cadet Mess Hall;
- At Halloween, putting his cadet hat atop a carved pumpkin placed over his head for a stroll around the Area;
- Developing a unique set of hand and arm signals for silent communication with his roommate during a risky double blind date;
- During Cow summer, shaving his head to be suitably gung-ho at Airborne School and barely avoiding an Article 15 for getting a severe sunburn;
- Leading by example by volunteering for intramural boxing as a First Classman;
- Preparing his companymates for the annual physical fitness test (PCPT) by leading nightly runs from Central Area to the Thayer Hotel and back. For Bill, the Infantry was the only branch to satisfy his quest for leadership, especially since combat in Vietnam was on the horizon. Like his World War II decorated father before him, Bill proudly joined the Queen of Battle upon graduation.
After earning his Ranger Tab and honing his skills with the 82nd Airborne stateside, Bill joined B Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, of the Americal Division in Vietnam. It was on 12 Oct 1970 that his preparation for leadership paid its greatest dividend. During a combat air assault, an ambush by entrenched NVA regulars killed his company commander. Assuming command and continually exposing himself to enemy fire, Bill rallied his soldiers, called for “danger close” artillery support, suppressed the enemy attack, and evacuated his wounded soldiers. To this day, former members of B Company still credit his leadership with saving their lives. Bill was recommended for the Silver Star for his action, but the paperwork was mishandled, and it was never received. Instead, he was awarded his second Bronze Star for Valor. One month later, Bill’s war ended when he was wounded in the foot by an enemy land mine while leading his unit in combat operations.
During recuperation, Bill was assigned to West Point as an aide to the Superintendent, LTG William A. Knowlton. He was selected to attend Columbia University and was awarded a master’s degree in public health in 1972. For his next challenge, Bill was selected by the Army to attend medical school. During his medical training, he married the former Ruth Ann Schulte in June 1976. Bill chose anesthesiology as his medical specialty and was assigned to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for his internship and residency. His competency and conscientious approach to medicine led to Bill’s selection as director of clinical anesthesia. His pursuit of “the harder right instead of the easier wrong,” however, led to a confrontation over medical ethics with a commanding officer who did not share Bill’s high standard of duty and honor. After a forced reassignment, Bill and his wife made the difficult decision to resign from the Army in 1984.
He selected Bedford, PA, a small town in the middle of the state, to clear his head and begin his civilian practice. For the next eight years, Bill was the only anesthesiologist for the entire county, meaning he was on-call all day, every day. He was an early visionary in recognizing the benefit of combining traditional medicine with alternative forms of treatment when he created the Bedford Wellness Center in 1992. Ruth Ann, the mother of their three children, William Arthur IV, John Charles and Sarah Ann, tragically developed breast cancer and died in 1994.
Bill married the former Susan Lively in 1995 and also took his new stepdaughter Sherry lovingly into his life. But then he began his own health battle in 1997 when diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his spine. After numerous unsuccessful treatments, he made the arduous decision to surgically remove the lower portion of his spinal cord, rendering him a paraplegic and forcing him to give up his medical practice. Still able to tend to his Pennsylvania farm on a motorized four-wheeler, he was able to care for the animals, hunt, fish, clear brush and even construct a “marginally-legal” backyard pond as a present for Susan. With great affection, he named the friends and family he enlisted to help dam the creek and build the pond “The Outlaw Landscaping Company.” Bill unflinchingly made another difficult decision by having his legs amputated above the knee when they became infected, but showed his unflappable humor by adopting the email name of “zerolegz”. When outdoor activity sometimes proved too difficult, the talented Dr. Illingworth added painting and poetry writing to his pursuits. He continued to demonstrate both physical and emotional strength throughout his battle.
After years of remission, Bill’s cancer returned early in 2004, and his condition rapidly deteriorated. A determined fighter to the end, when his doctor informed him that his condition was terminal, Bill politely waited until he departed the hospital room, turned to his wife, smiled and said, “(expletive) him!” Bill died at home on 12 May 2004. While we lost a friend, classmate, husband, father, grandfather and brother, Bill lived his life so that we’ll remember him as “Best of the Line”.
—Bill’s family and A-3 classmates