William E. Boeing was an aviation pioneer who founded The Boeing Company in 1916.

William Edward Boeing, Sr. was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 1, 1881 to Marie Ortmann and Wilhelm Böing. After leaving Yale University in 1903, Boeing relocated to Washington state to go into the lumber business. In 1909, he saw a manned flying machine for the first time and a new interest was born. Boeing took flying lessons from Glenn Martin at the Martin Flying School in Los Angeles, California and bought a Martin aircraft. His interest grew and, in partnership with his friend, U.S. Navy Commander George Conrad "G.C." Westervelt, he decided to build an aircraft. This resulted in the B & W biplane seaplane, also known as the Boeing Model 1, which was such a success that Boeing decided to go into the aircraft business.

He purchased Heath Shipyard along the Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington, later to be known as the "Red Barn" or Boeing Plant 1, and began manufacturing aircraft. During World War I, Boeing Airplane Company built 50 planes for the United States Navy. After World War I, Boeing earned contracts to supply air mail service. Air mail service grew and later added passenger service, which evolved into United Airlines.

In 1929, Boeing helped form United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, which bought several small airlines and merged them into United Air Lines. In 1934, due to the Air Mail Act and post-Depresson legislation that required the dispersion of the corporation, Boeing sold his interests in the Boeing Airplane Company but continued to work on other business ventures, spending most of his time involved in property development and the breeding of thoroughbred race horses.

In 1921, Boeing married Bertha Marie Potter Paschall (1891-1977). A year later, the couple had their son, William E. Boeing, Jr. (1922-2015). William E. Boeing, Sr. remained in the Seattle, Washington area until his death on September 28, 1956.

Sources and Further Reading:

Boeing. "Executive Biography of William E. Boeing." Accessed October 23, 2019. https://www.boeing.com/history/pioneers/william-e-boeing.page

Wikipedia. "William E. Boeing." Last modified October 17, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Boeing

Bertha Marie (Potter) Paschall Boeing was born on February 10, 1891 in Tacoma, Washington to Howard Cranston Potter and Alice (Kershaw) Potter. Her first marriage was to Nathaniel Paschall in August 1921; the couple had two sons.

She married her second husband, William E. Boeing Sr., founder of the Boeing Company, on September 27, 1921. She gave birth to Bill Boeing, Jr. in 1922. Bertha Boeing died on June 27, 1977 in Seattle, Washington.

Bill Boeing, Jr. was born on November 22, 1922 in Seattle, Washington to Bertha and William E. Boeing, Sr., the founder of the Boeing Company. He lived for a time in Hawaii and graduated from the Webb School in Claremont, California.

After school, he founded AeroCopters, a helicopter company, and built a hangar at Boeing Field. AeroCopters operated for nine years, flying supplies into the Kennecott copper mine in Alaska and smoke jumpers in and out of Missoula, Montana.

Boeing's business interests were varied; he bought, imported, and sold Volkswagon cars, prior to dealerships being established; helped launch hydroplane racing in Seattle; built commercial warehouses; and bought radio stations. He also served on myriad boards and engaged in philanthropic work.

Boeing was married twice. His first wife, Marcella Cech died in 1990. The couple had a son, William E. Boeing, III, who died in 2013. In 1991, he married June A. Tinkham (1926-2020). Bill Boeing, Jr. died on January 8, 2015.