William M. Ludwig

William M. Ludwig, 94, of Bermuda Run, NC, passed away Friday January 23, 2015 following a brief illness.  He was born in Chillicothe, OH on January 28, 1920, the son of the late William Clifton and Lorena Scheeler Ludwig.  He is survived by his daughter, Carole Smith and husband Frederick, of Wilmington, DE, his son William Carl Ludwig and wife Maureen of Pittsburgh, PA, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by Christine Wade Ludwig, his loving wife of 69 years, his parents, and three sisters, Annette Whitmore, Evelyn Ankrom, and Joanne Bain, all of Chillicothe.

Mr. Ludwig was educated in Chillicothe Public Schools, graduating from Chillicothe High School in 1938.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University in 1942.  After completing officer candidate school at Columbia University he received his commission in the United States Navy in 1943.  During World War II he served with distinction in the Pacific as gunnery officer on the USS Geneva. He also served as an officer on the USS Williamsburg, the presidential yacht of President Truman.  He remained a member of the Navy Reserve for fifteen years following his discharge from active duty.

Following the war, Mr. Ludwig returned to Chillicothe to raise his family.  He became president of Chillicothe Motor Express, an interstate truck line that his father founded in 1948, and operated the company for more than forty years.  Mr. Ludwig was a member of Scioto Lodge # 6, F&AM, Scottish Rite, Valley of Columbus and the Chillicothe York Rite bodies.  He was a member of Walnut Street United Methodist Church until his death and served for several years as the Chairman of its Board of Trustees.  He also served as President of Chillicothe Kiwanis Club, as Lt. Gov. of District 9 of Kiwanis International, and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Chillicothe’s Medical Center Hospital.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 31, 2015, in the FAWCETT OLIVER GLASS AND PALMER FUNERAL HOME with Pastor Scott Smith officiating.  Burial will follow in Grandview Cemetery with Military Honors by the Ross County Veterans Honor Guard.  The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon until the hour of service on Saturday.

Memorial contributions may be made to Walnut Street Methodist Church, P.O. Box 509, Chillicothe, OH 45601.

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