William "Bill" Kohoutek 1947-2007

William Richard Kohoutek was born August 5, 1947, to Frank A. Kohoutek and Carol Lorraine Hyelte Kohoutek. He was baptized the following September, at Grace Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois. His God parents were Raymond Siefeldt, Elroy Ahrans and Angela Hutchinson.

Bill attended Grace Lutheran grade school K-8th grades and was confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church on Palm Sunday, March 26, 1961. His Confirmation Verse was: "'God so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" John 3:16.

Bill attended Luther South High School in Chicago from 1961-1965 and immediately thereafter entered the U.S. Navy. He served aboard the destroyer USS DeHaven DD-727 as an electronics technician (communications), from June of 1965 through June of 1969. Most of his tour was spent in Vietnam with occasional respite in Japan and the Philippines.

Thereafter he was an electronics technician for various companies, finishing with about 25 years at TRW.

Bill married Lynn Baumann in 1969; they were divorced in 1980.

He is survived by his daughter: Karen Anne Wohlgezogen, step-daughter: Lauren Page Arvizu, sister: Jane Marie Tyk, nephews: Chad Tyk and Stephen Tyk (Godson), Aunts: Angela Hutchinson, Zita Varuska, and Regina George, and cousins.

His primary interest in life was the study of Theology and History, and he collected thousands of books for his personal library.

A Shipmate Remembers

A Tribute to William Kohoutek 1947 - 2007

In memory of my fallen buddy, William Kohoutek.  Known to his closest friends as “Wild Bill”. The passing of Bill escaped me when it happened back in November of 2007, for some reason I didn’t read ‘Piped Ashore’.  Perhaps the “Heavenly Father” knew my spirit wasn’t strong enough to get the news.  I don’t know but it still doesn’t seem possible to believe such a fine friend and shipmate has passed away.  They say you don’t have friends in the military, just military acquaintances. You couldn’t prove it by me because I got the news yesterday and today every time I think about my buddy ‘Bill’, I leave a trail of tears behind me and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

If you knew the guy maybe you would feel the same way.  He could think in the box and out of the box at the same time.  He was the epitome and mixture of ‘Newsweek’, ‘Popular Science’, and ‘Rolling Stone’ magazines all at the same time.

Living in a war zone and being out at sea day after day can make boys pretty irritable, but Bill never had a mean thought or word for anyone.  When he walked away from you, you felt better for knowing him.  He was a fine ET and took pride in his work like the rest of the ET division aboard the DeHaven.  He was the kind of guy you would hope your kids would turn out to be.

Once while night steaming along the coast of Vietnam, we were sitting on a pyrotechnics locker on the port bridge wing.  The jungle was so close you could almost touch it.  I was really getting into the jungle thing, like a tiger was going to jump out at us, or ‘Charlie’ was going to light us up with an AK-47.  I felt like I needed to put on war paint and a head band.  In the dark I asked Bill what he was thinking.  He said, “I was thinking that the worst thing on earth is a lukewarm religion.  You have to love God with your whole heart and soul, lukewarm is just a lie.”

Bill, I know you snuck off to heaven without me knowing it, I hope to see you again when it’s my time - Bill, Bill, Bill, you were a better man than I, Wild Bill.

Your shipmate,

John Maraviglia