Bill Prescott of Longmont, Colorado died Wednesday, December 30,1998, at Boulder Community Hospital. He was 81 .

Mr. Prescott was vice president of marketing for Jeppesen and Co., an aviation products firm, working for them for many years. Before that he was employed with United Airlines.

He was very patriotic, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1941, before war was declared. He was discharged from active duty in 1946 and joined the Naval Reserves, where he served until 1967, rising to the rank of Commander.

Mr. Prescott was a member of the Rocky Mountain Christian Church, and he previously was a member of Central Presbyterian Church during the tenure of Dr. Stanley Goerner.

Thirty years ago he started a men’s bible study group which continues to meet weekly.

He was a member of the Soaring Society of America, serving as State Governor; the Soaring Society of Boulder, where he had been president; and a member of the Board of Directors for the Aviation Distributors and Manufacturers Association. He was a volunteer at the OUR Center.

Mr. Prescott taught himself to fly a glider when he was 15 years old. He logged more than 5,000 hours of power flying time and 1000 hours in gliders and sailplanes. While in college in 1937, he was one of the first to pilot a sailplane for 10-l/2 hours continuously.

At age 72, he received the Diamond Distance Award given to glider pilots. Even in his later years he retained his spirit of adventure, and he rode motorcycles at age 80. He was a quiet man who never boasted or bragged.
He was born September 4, 1917, in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Theodore Brett Prescott and Ellen MacQueen Prescott. He moved to Longmont in 1959.

He married Betty Ward on July 25,1942, in Washington, D.C. They moved to Colorado in 1954.

Mr. Prescott was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Betty Prescott of Longmont, two daughters, Ellen O’Toole and her husband, Erine, of Laramie, Wyoming, and Susan Caldwell of Longmont; one son, Bill Prescott Jr. and his wife, Barbara, of Haysville, Kansas; six grandchildren, Bob Overlie of San Diego, Mike Overlie of Denver, Kendra Caldwell of Fort Collins, Eric Caldwell of Longmont, Regina Arroyo of Derby, Kansas, and Ryan Altenhofen of Wichita; and three great-grandchildren, Nicholas, Chase and Conner.

Memorial services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, January 4, at Rocky Mountain Christian Church, with Dr. Alan Ahlgrim and the Rev. Brian Mavis officiating. Friends were invited to a reception at the church following.

Cremation was held at the Ahlberg Funeral Chapel and Crematory. Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the OUR Center in care of Ahlberg Funeral Chapel. 326 Terry St., Longmont, Colorado.