LAWRENCE - William Shepard "Bill" Averitt, 87, died July 30, 2007, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

He was born Dec. 15, 1919, in Abbottsburg, N.C., the son of Franklin Shepard and Sallie Bell Monroe Davis Averitt. He graduated from Tar Heel (N.C.) High School in 1940. He worked as a meat grader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 30 years and retired in 1981. He had formerly livid in Norfolk, Va., Philadelphia, Trenton, N.J., Oklahoma City, and was a longtime resident of Hutchinson before moving to Lawrence in 2004. He was a veteran of World War II and served in the U.S. Army Engineers, 817th Engineers Aviation Battalion.

He belonged to the Dorsey-Liberty Post No. 14, American Legion, Lawrence, and the Atlantic Masonic Lodge No. 2, Norfolk, Va.

On July 27, 1953, he married Corinne Mildred "Millie" Dew. She survives.

Other survivors include: a daughter, Mildred Dawn Averitt Trent and husband, Danny C. Trent, Lawrence; a son, James Shepard Averitt and wife, Karen A. Kuhlmann Averitt, Lee's Summit, Mo.; a brother, Eugene F. Averitt, Tar Heel, N.C.; and five grandchildren, Andrew, Aaron, Alex, Aric and Joshua.

Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church, Lawrence, with the family receiving friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time. Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery and Mausoleum, Hutchinson, with Pastor Gordon Rhodes presiding. Family will receive friends at the First Baptist Church parlor, 800 N. Main, Hutchinson, directly following the service until noon.

Memorials may be sent to First Baptist Church, Lawrence; First Baptist Church, Hutchinson; or Lawrence Memorial Hospital Oncology Department, all in care of Elliott Mortuary.

Online condolences may be sent to www.elliottmortuary.com.