Virgil William "Bill" Fischer, age 84, of Hemet, California, entered into heaven on July 10, 2005. He was born on October 31, 1920 in Firth, Nebraska. Bill Fischer was a former prominent resident of Kennett, where he was well known for his barbecues as owner of the Log Cabin Drive-in; and in his "spare" time he was a disc jockey at KBOA radio station. At one time, Mr. Fischer worked as projectionist at the extinct drive-in movie theatre, and had also owned and operated several other businesses in Kennett, including the old Steak House, Carlton's Donut Shop and Daisy Queen. Once, Bill even ran for the office of mayor.

Prior to being a Kennett resident, Mr. Fischer served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. After his long stint in Missouri, Bill and his family relocated to California where he continued to lead a great life with many interests and hobbies. He was employed as an electrical navigator in the offshore drilling industry that took him to such places as Alaska, Trinidad and Australia. In addition, he had an instrumental role in the Space Shuttle Program at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California where he supervised the installation and operation of the shuttle's communication equipment during its peak ventures while employed by NASA and RCA. Bill's life experiences need no better example of how to live it.

Bill Fischer is survived by his former wife, Burness Fischer of Las Vegas, Nev.; two sisters, Irene Anderson of Gresham, Ore., and Donna Mae Lederer of Yucaipa, Calif.; three children, Joanna Dodd of Las Vegas, Gary Cole of Johnson Valley, Calif., and Linda Foley of Pahrump, Nev.; 12 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren - still increasing. And, let us not forget Bill's wonderful friends. Bill was loved greatly, was well respected and will be missed dearly.

Virgil W. Fischer was laid to rest at the Riverside National Cemetery on July 15, 2005, in Riverside, Calif.