William Donald Borum

AIKEN, SC - Col. William Donald Borum (US Army Ret.), 91, beloved husband of Mary Borum, passed away on Monday, September 30, 2024.

William Donald Borum ('Bill') was born in St. Louis, Missouri the eldest of two sons.

Drafted into the US Army in 1953, his military career spanned the academic, (MA in International Relations and an MS in International Defence Management), military construction, strategy and combat. During his first tour of duty in Vietnam he was awarded the Purple Heart having narrowly survived an explosive ambush.

He served internationally: in Cold War Germany in 1953, in the Lebanon crisis of 1958, in 1960s Iran as an adviser to the Shah’s army, and later in England, assigned to the British Ministry of Defence. Then NATO in the 1970s Rome and later, the Netherlands as the NATO Chief of Infrastructure Branch, Allied Forces Central Europe. 

His final posting was in San Francisco where as Deputy Division Commander, South Pacific Division, USACE, he project managed the design and construction of the Vandenberg Air Force base space shuttle launch facility, and construction of the MX ICBM counterstrike system in the Nevada desert.

On retirement in 1984, he joined Kaiser Engineers International where as Vice President he managed major construction programs.

A loving husband, father and grandfather – he was also an enthusiast for sports, playing football, driving rally cars in Europe, mountaineering and fencing. He was a Master Skydiver and gained a pilot’s license in retirement. And he never missed a daughter’s horse show, softball game, or any of his grandsons’ football or rugby matches, or wrestling tournaments. 

Bill had a passion for life, a sharp intellect and was a hugely generous man. Equally huge was his soft spot for cats and horses.

Bill died quietly at home in Aiken South Carolina with family members present. He leaves behind his beloved widow Mary Margaret and three daughters: Mary Bradley, Patricia and Kimberly.

SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC 29801.