William (Bill) Horn

William (Bill) Horn February 18, 1932 – May 4, 2026
Major William (Bill) Dale Horn, a respected patriarch, friend to many, and career United States Air Force pilot and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, died Monday, May 4, 2026 at his home in West Orange, New Jersey. He was 94 years old.

Born in Anacortes, Washington on February 18, 1932, Bill was the second of two children of Hazel (Madson) and William Theodore (Ted) Horn. His parents and his brother Edward pre deceased him, as did his beloved wife Betty Lou (Knuth) Horn, with whom he shared a deep bond and many adventures over 56 years of marriage. Bill is survived by his daughter, Kathryn Mickelson of Spokane, Washington and his son, The Rev. Gregory Horn of Montclair, New Jersey, along with daughter-in-law Sarah Touborg-Horn and grandchildren Richard William Clark, Tracey Dayle Clark, William Bowers Horn, and Margaret Madsen Horn—each of whose names honors his legacy—along with three nieces and five nephews.

Bill was an imposing military presence with a twinkle in his eye, a confident, mechanically-minded person who put people at ease and loved doing projects that helped others. He had a gift for animals, making children feel special, and martinis. Because his father worked long hours as a police officer, and his much older brother Edward left home to serve in the Navy in World War II, surviving the Pearl Harbor attack, Bill grew up essentially an only child. He was devoted to his mother Hazel, whose colorful personality, longevity, and zest for productive living he inherited.

Bill grew up in rural Washington State, becoming an avid and life-long fisherman, hunter, and expert marksman. At the age of 10, a friend of this father’s took him up in a private airplane, and his love affair with flying was born. After marrying Betty in 1954 and graduating (ROTC) from Washington State College in 1955, he began a career as an Air Force officer and pilot, logging over 11,000 hours in helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, flying to every continent and many countries. In the early 1960s, Bill and Betty adopted their children Greg and Kathy as infants, providing them with a peripatetic childhood of rich experiences and a lifetime of determined love and support. Bill’s 21 years as an Air Force pilot saw him stationed with his family in places like Guam, Nevada, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, South Carolina, Washington State, and Naples, Italy—with travel from one home to the next serving as family vacations.

From 1969-1970, Bill served in the Vietnam War, flying Sikorsky CH-3 helicopters on classified infiltration-exfiltration missions on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. He was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross for Heroism in Aerial Flight, when on December 3, 1969, “…Major Horn overcame intense hostile ground fire and extremely marginal weather to rescue a six-man [team]… which had suffered one wounded and was under aggressive attack… [hovering] his helicopter within fifty yards of the hostile gun positions under intense ground fire as the beleaguered team climbed the rope ladder to board...” In 1971 and 1972, Bill was assigned by the Air Force as the personal pilot to the Apollo 16 astronauts, transporting them around the country and world in the months prior to their moon landing.

Bill’s post-retirement life included being a legendary “sports dad,” brightening the lives of elderly relatives, gardening, celebrating his grandchildren, and traveling with Betty in their 36-foot motorhome from Alaska to Florida and from Quebec to Mexico. Bill was an elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), an active member of the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair, and a popular resident leader at The Cliffs at Eagle Rock in West Orange. He will be missed.

A memorial service for William D. Horn will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, with lunch following and military honors at 2:00PM.