Obituary of Wilford Oney

SCHENECTADY- Wilford "Russ" Oney, 89, passed away Saturday, August 7, 2010 at Glendale Nursing Home. Wilford was born on June 26, 1921 in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, a son of the late Fred Lee and Clara Amanda (Drewel) Oney. In 1941, at the beginning of World War II, Wilford enlisted in the United States Army and subsequently received a diploma for completing a course in Weather Forecasting in 1942. He then entered active duty in 1943, piloting a B-26 bomber over enemy territory with the 397th Bomb Group. Wilford successfully completed 65 missions, and in 1945 received an honorable discharge. He was a graduate of MIT in Cambridge, MA in 1948, where he earned a BS degree in Electric Power. For two years Wilford worked in the General Electric Test Engineer Program. He then settled in the Schenectady area, and continued his employment with G.E. While at G.E., he received a specialized motor patent. In 1989 he retired and continued as a consultant for several years. Survivors include wife, Barbara L. Gurney Oney, whom he married on May 28, 1949 in Boston, MA; two sons, Scott R. Oney and his wife Susan Ecklund of Northfield, MN and Kirk R. Oney of Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.; three grandchildren, Benjamin Oney, Celia Oney, and William Oney, all of Northfield, MN; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert Oney, who lived in Kansas City, MO and Carl Oney, who lived in Oakland, CA. Funeral services will be held privately at a later time.