William Bennett Retallick of West Chester

William Bennett Retallick passed away on September 8, 2016.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Kathryn Retallick, and daughter Martha Retallick.

Born in Yonkers, New York, and raised in nearby Pelham, he was an engineer and inventor who held more than 40 patents.

William attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the United States Coast Guard Academy, and earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Chemical Engineering, with a Geology minor, from the University of Illinois.

During the final months of World War II, he served as a Merchant Marine officer on a ship bringing American troops home from France. The ship went on to Calcutta and loaded with troops from the China-Burma-India Theater. This trip circled the world, from New York to Los Angeles.

William’s final trip was on a Victory Ship, to Tientsin, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. With this background, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the US Naval Reserve in 1946. He remained in the Naval Reserve for 15 years.

William was one of three co-founders of an Ohiobased manufacturer that is now part of Johnson Matthey Process Technologies. His industrial experience also included research and management positions at Oxy Catalyst, Air Products and Chemicals, Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal, and Phillips Petroleum, and private consulting.

An active member of the West Chester community, William was a member of the Westtown-Goshen Rotary Club and the Church of the Holy Trinity. Around his neighborhood, he enjoyed a decades-long reputation as a mile-a-day runner, rain or shine.

A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 212 South High Street, West Chester, on Tuesday, September 20 at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the Retallick family requests that you make a contribution to your favorite charity.