A native of Warren, PA., USA, Bill Genge enlisted at 17 and became a World War II pilot stationed at Duxford, and spent nearly a year as a prisoner of war in Germany after his plane was shot down in 1944. He returned to Duxford fifty-five years later with his five grandchildren in tow.

Mr. Genge spent his business career at Ketchum Communications, a major advertising and public relations firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. He served as a University of Pittsburgh trustee and member of the board of directors of Allegheny General Hospital and the Pittsburgh Symphony Society.

During World War II, Mr. Genge was a 2nd lieutenant stationed at Duxford, England. He flew planes, he said, "but not too successfully" "The true story is, I brought down two planes in combat. Unfortunately, I was in both of them". In early 1944 his plane was struck by ground fire over the Dutch countryside, forcing him to parachute into a canal. He filled his time as a POW reading the dictionary and writing poetry.

Mr. Genge, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, joined Ketchum Communications in 1953 after working as a writer for five years at Gulf Oil Corp. He worked his way up at Ketchum from account executive to president in 1970, and later its chief executive, leading the firm to become one of the nation's largest advertising agencies. Under his leadership, it grew from one office in Pittsburgh to offices in 12 U.S. cities and eight foreign countries. Worldwide billings topped $1.1 billion shortly before he retired -- more than four times what they were when he took the reins.

Mr. Genge was an elder at Shadyside Presbyterian Church and was very active in community and philanthropic circles. He was a director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, United Way, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Carnegie Institute and others.

As a trustee of the University of Pittsburgh, he chaired a $250 million capital campaign. He was also a Chatham College trustee and on the board of directors of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, the Executive Service Corp., the Pittsburgh Opera Theatre and Carnegie Music Hall.

Mr. Genge's wife of 46 years, Beverly Milway Genge, died in 1991.

Mr. Genge vacationed on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts every summer. He meandered Vineyard Sound in his gaff-rigged catboat, Growltiger. He was the Allen Wool Farm's first customer, years before the farm opened its shop. One day, he and his wife visited the farm and he fell in love with the salesgirl and bought all of the shop's handmade products. After that, he and his family were annual July visitors at the farmhouse at the Allen Farm.