Obituary of William F Bischoff Jr.

William F. Bischoff Jr. passed away peacefully in his home in Clinton, NJ, on November 3, 2016, a retired Vice President of Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation, a former Mayor of Union Township and an USAF Veteran. Born February 26, 1938 in Rahway, he grew up in Maplewood, NJ. Following his graduation from Columbia High School in 1956, he entered Newark College of Engineering (now NJIT) where he studied mechanical engineering and was a member of the Air Force ROTC program. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree, he entered the USAF as an officer and served three years of honorable duty. In the Air Force, Bill was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in June of 1962. He spent the initial four months of his tour in training at Chanute Field in Illinois and was then assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Forbes AFB in Topeka, Kansas as an assistant squadron commander in charge of maintaining and repairing B-47's. After becoming the youngest squadron commander in SAC history, Bill was decorated for meritorious service. Bill was released from active duty in April of 1965. Bill began his 34-year career with Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation in 1965. His career was varied and included roles such as: Project Manager in the Mechanical Engineering Group where he spent time in Spain overseeing major projects for the company; Manager of the Environmental Systems Department, starting the department and developing cutting edge pollution control systems; multiple positions in Sales for the Equipment and Fired Heater Divisions, culminating as Director of Domestic Sales; Director of Worldwide Licensing; and Vice President of International Sales for Foster Wheeler International. Bill is the author of several technical articles and is also the holder of several domestic and international patents. A pillar in the community, Bill was very active in local politics. He was a former Mayor, and was currently serving as a member of the Union Township Committee. He was chairman of the Union Township Republican Committee and also served on the executive board of the Hunterdon County Republican Committee. Bill was also a former treasurer of the Union Township Historical Society. On January 30, 1960, he married Mary Ellen Hudson, the love of his life and his wife of 25 years, who sadly predeceased him. Bill is survived by: his daughter Carolyn B. Frost (Bernd) of Connecticut; son William F. Bischoff III (Paige) of California; and three grandchildren, Cameron, Liam and Mallen. A gathering of family and friends will be held on Sunday November 13, 2016 from 3 until 5pm, at the Martin Funeral Home, 1761 Route 31, Clinton NJ and memorial service will be held at Prospect Presbyterian Church, 646 Prospect Street, Maplewood, NJ on November 14 at 11am. The burial will take place at Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery in Chadds-Ford, PA on Tuesday, November 15th at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations go to either of Bill's favorite charities, through In Memory Of, for the United Service Organization (USO) or The Leadership Institute, at www.inmemoryof-memorial.org.