Bill Gene Mosteller
March 29, 1924 — November 2, 2014
Shortly after the bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor On December 7, 1941, Bill decided to go to sea. Before graduating high school, he joined the United States Navy and went off to war. Assigned to the DD536, USS Owen, a Fletcher class destroyer, Bill served as a torpedo man. His ship was involved in the battles of the reoccupation of the Philippines, at Leyte, Luzon, and then Iwo Jima and the Caroline Islands.
Discharged in January 1946 in San Pedro, CA, he made the decision to stay in Southern California for the climate, later saying, "I never missed those snowy cold winters in Wichita!".
Working many odd jobs and living briefly with his aunt Irma and uncle Jess Vandruff, he met the "pretty girl across the street" and married her.
Velma Cunningham married Bill Mosteller June 30th, 1946. They settled down and raised a family in Lakewood, CA. Four children were born into that family, William 'Gene', Marilyn, Charles 'Chuck', and James 'Jim'. Bill worked as a truck mechanic for GMC in Long Beach from 1949 until 1958 when he decided to sell trucks for Beach City Chevrolet. A year later, he moved to Harbor Chevrolet and sold trucks there from 1959 until 1972. He began managing the Truck Service and Repair department at Harbor Chevrolet from 1972 until his retirement in 1986.
Bill took well to retirement calling it his "last career", enjoying his thirteen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. In his later years of life he had two phrases he always said whenever in a conversation; "Growing old is Hell!", and "I never thought I'd live this long!". This last quote was said the most and for that reason his family would like to remind friends that life should be celebrated as often as possible.
Visitation Monday, 11/10/14, 3 - 5 pm at the Luyben Dilday Chapel. Graveside Services, Tuesday 11 am at Forest Lawn Cypress.
Please sign the guest book at www.luybendilday.com. (562) 425-6401
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