Lt. Col. William Charles Toole

Friday, Nov. 11, 2016

Oct. 19, 1932 – Oct. 15, 2016

Lt. Col. William Charles Toole, USMCR (Ret) was born on Oct. 19, 1932, the only child of Richard J. and G. Gladys Beck Toole of Rochester, N.Y. His paternal grandfather, William O’Toole, emigrated from County Tipperary in 1884, as did Bill’s grandmother, Margaret O’Connor, also of County Tipperary. Charles Beck of Stamford, Conn. and Mary Ann Connors of N.Y. were his maternal grandparents. 

Bill attended K-12 in Rochester, N.Y. and received a bachelor’s degree at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. After four years of active duty in the Marine Corps, he served 25 years in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring in 1985 as a lieutenant colonel. He received a master’s degree from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Graduate School. On June 29, 1959 Bill married Ann Brewer. Children of this marriage are Michael R. Toole (Victoria) of New Brunswick, N.J.; Kathleen L. “Kit” Toole (William Winhall) of Spring Valley, Calif.; Anne Marie Scott of Wilmington, Mass.; and Mark J. Toole (Samara) of Mill Valley, Calif.

Also surviving Bill are his grandchildren William and David Toole; Kendra Winhall; Amy and Taylor Scott; and Ellie, Carly and Aidan Toole; his stepchildren, Shannon L. Ingram Breckenridge (Paul) and Jay L. Ingram (Jill); and step-grandchildren Grace and Claire Breckenridge and Jenna and Juliette Ingram. After moving to California in the early 1960s, Bill worked for General Electric and TRW and as an independent insurance agent in the Los Angeles area. Bill married Donna Dempster Ingram in 1978 and they resided in the Arcadia area until 1990, when they moved to the Bay Area. In 2005 they retired to St. George. Donna survives him.

Bill’s hobbies were veteran activities, running, planes, trains and automobiles. Devil Pups, Inc. was a particular favorite youth citizenship organization that he supported for 40 years. He also was active in Kiwanis Club of San Pedro, Navy League of Los Angeles, was a founding member of the Toys for Tots program in Los Angeles, founding commandant of Utah Dixie Marine Corps League, and the Veterans Coalition of Southern Utah and a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Ivins Veterans Nursing Home.

Services were held Nov. 10 at Spilsbury Mortuary. Military honors were provided by Marine Corps League Detachment #1270. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Devil Pups, Inc., P. O. Box 6607, Westlake Village, Calif. 91359. Please add “Bill Toole” or “Utah” on the donation.

Friends and family are invited to sign his guestbook at www.spilsburymortuary.com.