William D. Fraad Jr., 56; Greenwich HS Graduate, Airline Pilot

From Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home.

William D. Fraad Jr. of Nashville, TN, an airline pilot, passed away on July 23, 2014 of pneumonia. He was 56,

He was previously a Greenwich resident who graduated from Greenwich High School in 1975 and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1979.

As a teenager he was an enthusiastic student of aviation who became a United States Army Officer and a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in command, stationed in Germany and Cypress. After retiring from military service he flew fixed wing aircraft, as a Captain, for American Eagle Airlines.

Billy was a consummate outdoorsman who learned to fly fish as a young boy and often fished the Mianus River in Connecticut as well as the Esopus River in New York along with many rivers across the U.S. as he matured. He was a proficient compound bow hunter, trapper and taxidermist. Billy was also a student of the author Tom Brown Jr.’s survival school based on ancient Native American tracking and hunting techniques.

Billy is survived by his parents Annette and William Fraad of Greenwich, and Stuart, FL; his sister, Partricia Fraad Shanafelt (Tab Shanafelt) and his nephew and niece, Tyler and Catherine Shanafelt all of Greenwich, North Stonington and Bermuda.

A viewing will be held at Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 31 Arch St., Greenwich, on Thursday, July 31 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1 at St. Michael the Arch Angel Parish, 469 North St. Greenwich. Interment will follow at Putnam Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Billy’s favorite charity Unicef, at www.unicef.org.

Condolences may be offered at www.leopgallaghergreenwich.com