Obituary of Billy Gaylon Caudle

Billy Gaylon Caudle, age 70, passed away on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at Cape Canaveral Hospital. He was born in Caruthersville, Missouri on July 29, 1947 to Billy Mack and Dorothy Mae Caudle. He attended Kennett High School in Missouri, where he was a track and football star. During Bills high school years his dad accepted a job working for Esso and his family moved to Libya. After moving he was sent to boarding school in Lausanne, Switzerland; he graduated high school from Lycee Jaccard in Lausanne. He continued his education at the University of Arkansas then to Troy State University in Alabama, where he received his Bachelors and Masters degrees. In 1973 he married the love of his life, Rose. Bill was very honored to have served in the United States Air Force as a Computer Programmer. He traveled the world and had many assignments during his eight years in the Air Force including Sheppard AFB, Texas; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; Ton Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam; Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand and lastly in Gunter AFB, Alabama from where he was honorably discharged in 1974. His military career continued another two years where he served in The Alabama National Guard. Billy was also a proud Vietnam Veteran Bill loved working for NASA for over 25 years and retired from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in September 2012. He especially loved being a part of the space exploration program. His career with NASA led him to assignments in Reston, Virginia; Washington, DC; Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas; and Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. Bill and Rose enjoyed going to the family’s cabin on their island in Ontario Province, Canada. He loved taking care of his three dogs, fishing, attending local track and field events, watching and attending NASCAR events, taking care of his beloved Corvette, and watching his favorite football team, from the University of Alabama (ROLL TIDE!!!). He was a sports enthusiast and was a vast source of information regarding anything in the sports world. Billy enjoyed learning new things “he could literally hold an intelligent conversation about anything; and I do mean anything.” and was a voracious reader. Left to mourn his loss, is his loving wife of 44 yrs, Rosa “Rose” Caudle; children Scott (Becky), Sarah (Joe Vairo) and Jason Caudle; three grandchildren and his brother James Caudle. Bill will lovingly be in our hearts forever.