DRACUT [MA} -- William J. McKinnon, 84, a resident of this town for many years, died yesterday, Feb. 25, at Lowell General Hospital. He was the husband of the late Rita (Beaulieu) McKinnon.

Born in Lowell on Jan. 6, 1921, he was a son of the late Luc and Bella (Fortin) McKinnon. He was educated in local schools and graduated from Lowell High School.

An Army veteran of WWII, he served as Tech 5 with the 508 Infantry Division as a paratrooper. He received the European African Middle Eastern Theatre Campaign Ribbon.

Prior to his retirement, Mr. McKinnon worked in the maintenance department at High Voltage Engineering of Burlington. He was a member of the Dracut Senior Citizens Club and the Centralville Senior Citizens Club.

Surviving him are two sons and daughters-in-law, William and Suzy McKinnon of Merrimack, N.H., and Richard and Leandrea McKinnon of Dracut; two sisters, Rose Lefebvre of Ellenton, Fla., and Lorraine Rita Thomas of Jacksonville, Fla.; and two grandsons, Mathew and Spencer McKinnon of Dracut. He is also survived by his lifelong friends, Leo Beaulieu and Julie Doyle, both of Dracut. Mr. McKinnon was the brother of the late Leo and George McKinnon.

(The Sun, Lowell, MA, 27 Feb 2005 - courtesy of Tedd Cocker)