William Oberempt, Jr.

William Franklyn "Obie" Oberempt On Thursday, January 7, 2021, Bill passed away peacefully at home due to long-standing heart health issues. He was born in 1937 to Muriel (Witham) & William Oberempt, in West Haven, CT. Right after high school graduation in 1955, Bill’s patriotic love of country & strong sense of duty led him to volunteer to serve in the US Navy. His 10 year Navy career began in Lakehurst NJ with the Anti-Submarine Surveillance Blimp Squadron. Then, it was on to sea duty in South America, the Far East & Vietnam with the Pacific Fleet. A highlight for Bill was being part of the original crew of the aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk, CVA63. In 1960, he met & married Eleanor McCauley (now deceased). The couple had 3 children during Bill’s Navy Service. Because of the necessary military requirements of constant absences from wife & children, Bill decided, with great regret, to honorably leave the Navy in 1966. This tall, handsome young man always wanted to make you his friend, from your first meeting. Whether on a train or bus, in a store, or even on the sidewalk, he would start a conversation with one of his vast inventory of jokes. There were silly jokes for the kids, clean jokes for the ladies, & some raunchy Navy jokes for the guys. When you heard a group of people laughing & talking together, you would find Bill at the center. He always tried to make life a bit happier for everyone. His Navy storekeeper rate led him into a new civilian career, working for Sears, Roebuck & Co. for 9 years. Bill was a great salesman, always honest & cared for his customers. Of course, everyone liked him & he became a Sears Department Mgr. in Vineland, NJ. In 1970, Bill & Eleanor welcomed their 4th child, a son. In 1975, when he left Sears, his strong sense of law & order led him to become a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Officer. Bill often used his sense of humor to defuse conflicts in the jails & on the streets. In 1981, he joined the new casino industry in Atlantic City, as a gaming surveillance officer at the Claridge Casino until his retirement in 2006. As a 2nd job, Bill volunteered for several ambulance squads as a certified EMT; an EMT Instructor, and later, was part of a new NJ Health Program, becoming one of the first professional Paramedics in the State. All his life, he showed how much he cared for the health & safety of anyone who needed him. Bill was a 60 year member of the Annawon Masonic Lodge #115 in West Haven, CT, and a longtime member of the Hammonton VFW Post #1026. Bill & Kay made their home in Hammonton for the last 32 years. Neighbors quickly became like his family. He was an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan, always cheering them on. His last “job” was a volunteer for the Hammonton Canoe Club Senior Center. How much we will miss the love, laughs, & joy that Obie brought to us all. We wish him “Fair Winds & Following Seas” as he travels on. He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife, Kay; his children; John (Lori); Robin Wilton; Mark (Mary Ann); Brothers Gordon (Judith) & Arthur (Judy) Oberempt and many grand & great-grandchildren. His oldest son, William III, pre-deceased him. Cremation arranged by LeRoy P. Wooster Funeral Home and Crematory with burial in the Atlantic County Veterans Cemetery in Estell Manor, NJ. Services are private & limited to the immediate family. Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to The USS Kitty Hawk Veterans Association, Attention: James Melka, President, 1602 6th Street NE, Independence, Iowa 50644 or Annawon Masonic Lodge #115, P.O. Box 9, West Haven, Connecticut 06516. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .