William R. (Bill) Van Dusen, 81, died suddenly at his Oak Harbor home Dec. 27, 2010. He was born May 3, 1929, in Seattle to George H. and Sarah Pettit Van Dusen. He was raised in West Seattle; Alberta, Canada; and near Parksville on Vancouver Island.
Bill was proud of his military service in World War II and the Korean conflict. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1946 where he became a radioman first class. He got out of the military briefly in 1949, and then joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951 where he stayed until 1955, leaving as a staff sergeant. After graduating from radio school in Port Arthur, Texas, he joined the CIA where he worked in communications for 21 years in several different locations in the Far East.
It was at the American Embassy in Saigon, Vietnam, where he met Margaret (Meg) Bauer. They were married in 1965 at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. After leaving the Philippines, the couple lived in northern Virginia where their two children were born.
Upon his retirement from the CIA, Bill and the family settled on Whidbey Island in 1979. He continued working for several years as a contract employee for the CIA and the Department of State installing secure communications stations in various countries around the globe.
For many years, Bill was a ham radio operator. He enjoyed building model airplanes and was a member of the Skagit RC Club.
Bill is survived by his wife of 45 years, Meg, along with daughter Marty Van Dusen of Everett; son Eric Van Dusen (Frances) and granddaughter Katie of Hampton, Va. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, one niece, and two nephews of Vancouver, B.C.
Inurnment is scheduled for March of 2011 at Arlington National Cem-etery. Arrangements were entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel where friends may go online at www.burleyfuneralchapel.com to sign a guest register and leave memories for the family. Memorial donations may be made to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation, Cardiac Unit, Lockbox 1352, PO Box 8500, Philadelphia PA 19178-1352; or your local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
