Lewis "Bill" William Carnicle
January 6, 1927 — June 20, 2016
Lewis “Bill” William Carnicle, 89, of East Moline, IL, passed away on Monday, June 20, 2016, at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf, IA.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, 2016, at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd., 6601 38th Avenue, Moline, IL. There will be a masonic service at 11:30 a.m. and visitation will be from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Per his wishes, cremation rites have been accorded and burial of cremains will be at National Cemetery at the Rock Island Arsenal, where military honors will be conducted by the Moline American Legion Post 246. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or to the Jim and Trudy Maloof St. Jude Midwest Affiliate Clinic for Childhood Leukemia.
Lewis was born on January 6, 1927, in Moline, IL, the son of Neil and Mary Rittenhouse Carnicle. He married Shirley Jean Edens on November 23, 1946, at St. Mark in Davenport, IA, and she preceded him in death on May 09, 1999.
Bill served in the United States Navy during WWII from April 1944 to 1946 and during the Korean War from 1950 to 1952. After the invasion of Okinawa, he was one of the 48 survivors of the USS LSM ®, a rocket vessel which was lost to a Japanese air attack early in May, west of Okinawa. According to reports, the attack occurred at dusk, leaving the survivors alone with little hope of rescue. Seaman Carnicle was picked up about three hours later by a destroyer, sent to their rescue from 60 miles away. Later, he reported to Des Moines for further assignment. He trained at Great Lakes naval training station and at Little Creek, VA, where he was given amphibious training.
Following his military career, Bill worked as a welder for John Deere and later as a barber/hairstylist for King Plaza Barber Shop in Moline, retiring in 1988.
Bill was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Trio Lodge, and the Laz Club. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, and boating. He especially loved his Shih Tzu dog, Rinny. He also enjoyed socializing at Leisure Time Billiards and telling jokes to anyone in hearing distance.
Survivors include his children, Linda (Richard) Shaw, Springfield, OH, Nancy Miles, East Moline, IL, and Michael Carnicle, Aurora, CO; granddaughter, Andrea (Tammy Brown) Gray, Beaver Creek, OH; great granddaughter, Adriana Gray.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Shirley; grandson, Richard L. Shaw; twin sister, Lois; sister, Elma Sullivan; brother, Herman Carnicle.
Memories may be shared online by visiting esterdahl.com.