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Obituary (NC): William Bernard Droge Jr. '50

Posted on 03/01/2019

William Bernard Droge Jr. died on February 26, 2019 at age 92, at Crystal Coast Hospice House in Newport, NC. He was a long-time resident of Trent Woods, NC. His parents, William B. Droge, Sr. and Marie Klemmer Droge lived in Arlington neighborhood of Kearny, NJ when he was born on August 13, 1926.

Bill attended Lafayette College in an Army ROTC program before entering the United States Naval Academy with the Class of 1950. While a Midshipman, he was a left-handed pitcher for Navy's baseball team. After graduation, Bill served in USS Taconic (AGC 17) and USS Stephen Potter (DD 538) before leaving the Navy in 1954 with the rank of Lieutenant.

Bill began his civilian career as a bearing application engineer with SKF Industries while attaining a graduate degree in economics at Temple University. In 1955, Bill joined New Jersey Machine Corporation, a leader in the packaging machinery industry, where he worked for 20 years as a sales engineer and regional sales manager. He continued his career in real estate sales in Florida, Montana and North Carolina until retirement in 1994.

During his lifetime, Bill was active in community affairs serving as scoutmaster, volunteer fireman, town alderman and Episcopal Church vestryman and was a member of the Eastern NC chapter of the USNA Alumni Association. His outdoor activities included fly fishing, hunting and tennis. In his home, he proudly displayed the works of his mother, under the signature Mari Lowdermilk, who remarried and became an accomplished artist later in her life, in the St. Petersburg, FL area.

Bill was predeceased by his parents, his loving wife Harriet Louise (nee Dohl) who passed away in 2010, and by his son William Walter Droge. He is survived by his daughter-in-law Jayne Ann, granddaughter Alyse and great granddaughter Kayla. His remains will be inurned at the United States Naval Academy columbarium in Spring.

Arrangements by Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory.

Published in Sun Journal from Feb. 28 to Mar. 1, 2019