William (Bill) F. Krens
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William (Bill) F. Krens, 77, of Hillsboro, VA. passed away Thursday afternoon, March 4, 2021. He was the son of late Frank and Olive Krens of Summerhill, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Janet Krens, and his sons Mike and Rick, their wives Liz and Brenda, and three grandchildren Alexandra, Griffin, and Morgan.
Bill grew up on a dairy farm and was one of nine children. His siblings include, Jean, Frank, Connie, Ron, Sally, Betty, Charlie and Dessa. Bill and Janet moved to Hillsboro, Virginia in 1971 to setup their own farm and raise their family. The farm primarily raised cattle and crops such as corn and hay. Also in 1970, he began his career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an Air Traffic Controller at the Washington Center in Leesburg, VA. Retiring in January 2002 after 32 years of service, he continued as a trainer for a number of years and cherished the friendships he made during his long career.
Bill was a smart, resourceful, easygoing man, with a mostly pragmatic yet generous heart and a wry sense of humor. His interests included travel, classic aircraft, classic cars, old tractors as well as working with various machinery. His travels took him on 35 different cruises across the world. Bill was also active in the Hillsboro United Methodist Church, serving as a trustee for many years and volunteering with Mobile Hope. He was also active in a local car club Cam Jammers, a member of various aviation related groups and enjoyed restoring and showing classic 1950s cars.
Bill's love of airplanes began in childhood as his father Frank was also a private pilot and airplane enthusiast. In 1969 Bill, purchased his first plane and established the Krens Farm Airport, a grass strip on his farm in Hillsboro. Over 57 years as a pilot, he owned Piper Tripacers, several Navions, a Cessna Cardinal, Beechcraft Sundowners, Beechcraft Musketeers and two Beechcraft Twin Bonanzas otherwise known as T-bones. Taking his planes on cross-country trips he flew to most of the United States with trips to California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wisconsin, Florida, and Massachusetts.
A memorial service is in the planning stages for later in the year. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to the Hillsboro United Methodist Church, 37216 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, Virginia 20132.