William “Willie or Bill” Miles Albrittain Sr., a soldier, firefighter, and family man passed away peacefully at home on Monday, October 12,2020 in Faulkner, MD, at the age of 92. He was a lifelong resident of Charles County. Willie was preceded in death by his parents, James Washington Albrittain and Mary Ellen Miles Albrittain, sisters Mary Lucille Warner and Catherine Imogene McCarthy, and brothers James Willis Albrittain, James Lemuel Albrittain, George Edward Albrittain, John Washington Albrittain, and Thomas Warren Albrittain. Willie is survived by his wonderful wife of 69 years, Mary Katherine (Wills) Albrittain, his sister Julia Etheldra White, children William Miles Albrittain Jr. (Chanda), grandson William Miles Albrittain III (Chrissie) along with great-grandchildren Calla and Cora Albrittain, and granddaughters Victoria Mary Jean Bowie (Jeff), along with great- grandchildren True Glotfelty and Mia Bowie, Emma Carlyn Turner (Zachary) and Chloe Lawson, daughter Marianna Elizabeth Albrittain (John) along with granddaughter Kelly Palmer (Brad) along with great-grandson Weston Pearce Palmer, son James Wills Albrittain (Patricia), and granddaughters Lauren Elaine Albrittain, Anna Kristine Albrittain and grandson Alexander James Albrittain, daughter Kathryn Miriam White (Rick), and youngest son, Harold Thomas Albrittain (Deidre), and grandson Eric William Harris and family Lauren, with children Preston, Miles, Cathleen, and Gabriel, and granddaughters Katelyn Nichole Stonehouse (Joseph) along with great-granddaughter Scarlett Magnolia Stonehouse, and granddaughters Ciara Brooke Albrittain and Brianna Elizabeth Albrittain.
Willie was born on July 8, 1928 in Indian Head, Maryland. He grew up in the Port Tobacco area, worked hard on the family farm “Part of Plenty” with two horses Bob and Bill and the dog Jack, and spent his childhood days hunting, fishing and walking to school uphill both ways in the snow with no shoes on, according to the stories he told his children. Willie was a devout Catholic and graduated from Sacred Heart High School, Class of 1946. After High school he worked in the Plumbing business with his Uncle Henry, farmed Tobacco with his brother Edward on the family farm, and later in 1947 went to work for his Uncle Lemuel at the General Merchandize Business in Bel Alton until 1950 when he joined the Army. In 1950, he took Basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma., Cadre at Camp Breckinridge, and then went to Camp Eta Jima, Japan for Signal school. He was then sent to serve in the Korean War assigned to Company “C” 4th Signal Battalion. He received a Bronze Star for his above and beyond actions during the war, Korea Commendation Ribbon, Korea Service Medal, and the United Nations Service medals for his Military service.
On October 13, 1951, he married his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Mary Katherine Wills at St. Ignatius-Chapel Point Catholic Church. He was the epitome of a role model and the pillar of the Albrittain family. He was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, PopPop, and longtime member of St. Ignatius-Chapel Point Catholic Church. He will forever be remembered for his sincere smile, caring disposition, heroism, constant jokes and laughs, and for his unique way of making everyone feel like they were his friend. He enjoyed spending time with his family, being an avid church goer, loving and spoiling his grandchildren as well as playing cards with them, displaying his arrow heads, reading the newspaper and solving word searches in his special chair, talking about and watching the birds, supporting his Nationals baseball team and the Washington “Redskins” football team, reminiscing over his war stories, and volunteering with the fire department. The fire department has been a passion of Willie’s since he began volunteering at the age of 15 and he served with the La Plata and Bel Alton fire departments throughout his life.
After his Army service he worked at the Naval Powder Factory in Indian Head, Md. He worked three years as an Electrician, eight years in the Navy’s Fire Department and then worked twenty-one years in the Base Safety Department. In total he dedicated thirty-two years of civilian service to the Navy. On December 31,1958 while working for the Naval Propellant Plant at Indian Head for the base fire department he responded to an explosion on the powder line at the Navy base. When he arrived on scene, he entered the burning building risking his own life, and dragged an injured man from the rubble to safety after hearing the man yell for help, ultimately saving the man’s life. For these acts of heroism and bravery he received the Navy’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award. In 2007 he was inducted into the Navy’s Fire and Emergency Services Hall of Fame for the rescue he made that day. Willie was a friend to all that had the privilege of meeting him. He will forever be honored, remembered, missed, and above all, loved.
The family will be receiving friends for the viewing on October 18, 2020 from 4pm to 6pm at Arehart-Echols funeral Home, PA (211 St.Mary’s Ave., La Plata MD) and on October 19, 2020 a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Ignatius- Chapel Point Church (855 Chapel Point Road, Port Tobacco, MD 20677) beginning at 1pm. Online condolences can be shared at arehartechols.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Ignatius Chapel Point-Restoration of Church fund (8855 Chapel Point Road, Port Tobacco, MD 20677), and Bel Alton Volunteer Fire Department (9765 Bel Alton Newtown Rd., Bel Alton MD 20611).
