In Loving Memory of Wilbur E. (Bill) Daly

Wilbur E. (Bill) Daly, age 101, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed into heaven on April 21, 2024.

Bill was born in Detroit, Michigan on August 18, 1922. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Mary E. Daly, his son, Robert C. Daly (Brenda), and his daughter, Mary Ann Daly. He is also survived by a brother-in-law, several sisters-in-law, and multiple nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased by his parents, Robert Olan Daly Sr. and Molly Reddy Daly, and his brother, Robert Olan (Bob) Daly, Jr.

Bill accepted Christ as his personal Savior during a tent revival in South Georgia in 1931. Bill was active in the Boy Scouts and became an Eagle Scout in 1938. He later served as a Scoutmaster before and after his time in the service.

In October 1942, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was a World War II Veteran of the 33rd Fighter Group and served with the Flying Tigers during the China-Burma-India Theater as a flight engineer on the B-25 Mitchell. Bill received an honorable discharge in March 1946 at the rank of Sergeant.

He served as a Sunday School teacher of middle school boys at Terry Parker Baptist Church (1960–1970) and later as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville in the 1980s.

His career was predominately in sales. Some of the companies he worked for were J.C. Penney and H & WB Drew Company. In 1994 he retired from United Business Systems where he excelled in sales of medical record systems.

When he retired, Bill volunteered at Catholic Charities and at ElderSource with the SHINE program. He enjoyed working with wood and stained glass. He especially enjoyed making birdhouses. Some of his birdhouses won awards which were auctioned off to support nonprofits like HabiJax. He also enjoyed working in his yard. He loved tending to the birds that visited his well-stocked feeders and lived in his “rent-free” birdhouses.

Graveside services, a committal service with military honors, will be held at Jacksonville National Cemetery on April 29, 2024, at 2:00 pm. Jacksonville National Cemetery is at 4083 Lannie Road.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Hearing Health Foundation, P.O. Box 1397, New York, NY 10018, or ElderSource, 10688 Old St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257.

HHF is very grateful to Bill Daly’s family for honoring his memory in this way. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Please make an online donation in any amount below, or you can print and mail a donation form. 

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