Background and History of the
Foundation
The W. A. Tucker Foundation was formed by W. Tracy
Lenocker, Joanne E. Lenocker and W. Ryan Lenocker and is named in honor and in
the memory of
Tracy's natural father who died in the service of his country during World War
II.
Bill Tucker was born on August 27, 1923 in
Loveland,
Colorado to Ohen H. (1899-1968) and Eulah E. (1896-1988) Tucker. Bill had two younger brothers, Robert Tucker
(1924 - ) of Grass Valley,
California, and Thomas E. Tucker(1933-1970). Robert "Bob" O. Tucker's son
Larry served on the Foundation's Board of Directors from 1999 to 2001.
Bill married his high school sweetheart Edna O.
Keck in 1942. In 1943 Bill joined the Army Air Corps and was stationed in the
South Pacific. His plane and all crew members were lost during a flight in enemy
territory on June 20th, 1945. His only son was W. Tracy (Tucker) Lenocker born two months later.
Edna was given his Purple Heart, a picture of
which is shown below. She served on the Foundation's Board of Directors from
1999 to 2001,
Edna married Paul Lenocker, jr. in 1948.
Paul had also served in the Army Air Corps in WWII as a B17 pilot and after
being shot down was a POW in Germany for 99 days until the end of the war. Bill,
Edna and Paul had all gone to high school together and were friends. Together,
Edna and Paul raised Tracy, whom Paul adopted, and had two more children, Keith
Lenocker (1951 - 1976) and MaryAnn (Lenocker) Gobel (1954 - ).
The few drawings that are on these web pages
are from some sketches that Bill Tucker drew during his pilot training.
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