Commander William Milwee. Jr., USN (Ret.) was born on 1/13/37 in Montgomery, AL, and died on 8/17/16 in Clearwater, FL of complications of Alzheimer’s.
Always drawn to the military, even as a child, Bill attended Marion Military Institute for one year prior to his appointment to the Naval Academy Class of 1959.
Bill’s first billet after graduation was as the USS Twining’s (DD540) Engineering Officer, where he served until 1963 when he was selected to attend the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture. After earning a Masters Degree from Webb, he served as Ship Superintendent at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard and then went to Vietnam as Salvage Engineer and Maintenance Officer of the Harbor Clearance Unit One team of divers and salvors. During his tour in Washington DC as an Engineering Duty Officer in the Supervisor of Salvage Office, he was also Supervisor of Diving and Officer-In-Charge of the Navy Experimental Diving Unit. From 1973 to 1977 he was the Pacific Fleet Salvage Officer, and then retired from his last position as Repair Officer at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, in 1979.
Following retirement from the Navy, Bill established his business as a consultant in Marine Engineering, specializing in ship salvage and oil spill matters, working on all seven continents over the next 35 years. He contributed many articles to professional journals, wrote salvage manuals for the Navy, and wrote two books, “Mud, Muscles and Miracles” (a history of diving and salvage in the U.S Navy) and “Modern Marine Salvage”, a technical book for the industry.
Bill became active in dog training and was a familiar figure on the agility course with his Portuguese Water Dog and his little American Eskimo Dog, once running in his kilt to fulfill a promise he had made. He also created several model railroad layouts. He had a deep interest in the Civil War and acquired a good library on that topic. His professional library was extensive, and reading was a life-long passion.
Bill and his former wife, Helen Winston of Montgomery, AL, had two daughters, Suzanne and Teresa. In 1978 he married the former Wanda Howard of San Diego, who brought three children, Mark, Kirk and Catherine, to the new family. Bill is survived by his wife, Wanda, and six grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Clearwater on 10/28/16. Ashes will be spread at sea by a Navy vessel.
We are so sorry for your loss
I am sorry for your loss, which in a way is also my loss as a colleague. Milwee wrote what I consider to be the best book on Maritime Salvage, and each of its pages suggests that the author possessed, in addition to solid knowledge, unquestionable wisdom. Os acompaño en el sentimiento.