Obituary of William G. Pinkal

William George (Bill) Pinkal was born January 8, 1925 in Pringle South Dakota. He was the son of William Pinkal and Ollie Maye Clayton. Bill had two brothers, Alfred and Fred, and four sisters Nora, Dorotha, Frieda and Golda. He grew up on a saw mill camp south of Custer, South Dakota. Bill's father died in 1937 when he was 12. At this young age, he was called on to help take care of his mother and sisters. When he was 15, Bill took a job with the Youth Corps working on a road building project. His mother later passed away in 1943 when he was 18.Bill left South Dakota at age 18 and enlisted in the Army Air Corp. He was sent to Texas to train to be a mechanic for B-25 bombers. Shortly thereafter, he was loaded on a troop ship and sent to the South Pacific where he was assigned to a bomber squadron. After his service in World War II, Bill remained active in the reserves and later retired from the Seabees.In 1949 he settled in Colorado Springs where he married Vera Zajac. They had two children, William Jr. (Bill) and Don. He taught his boys how to work. Whether it was working on the car, plumbing, carpentry, roofing, welding, electrical, Bill knew how to do it all. He came from a generation that didn't have much, but he made the best of what he did have. Bill retired as an overhead lineman at Fort Carson.Bill was preceded in death by his first wife, Vera Zajac, his second wife Rita and his third wife Vera Lewis-Filonowich from whom he gained two grown stepsons, Les and John. Bill was a generous man with a passion for service. He enjoyed working with his family and friends through his retirement years. Bill has five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4051 and the American Legion Post 39. Bill gave his granddaughter Jenny a framed saying which captures the essence of his life. The saying reads: "I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."Bill is loved and will be missed. Funeral Services Monday August 13, 10:00 AM at the LDS Melissa Chapel, 2750 Melissa Drive. Internment at Evergreen Cemetery.Funeral Home:The Springs Funeral Services3115 East Platte AvenueColorado Springs, , COUS 80909 Events Cemetery Thursday, August 9, 2012 12:00AM Evergreen Cemetery 1005 Hancock Expressway Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Phone: 719-578-6646 Service Monday, August 13, 2012 10:00AM Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2750 Melissa Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Phone: 719-632-8756