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Those who knew him will remember him as a man devoted to his faith and family.

William J. Mayhew Sr., 84, of Milford, Delaware, departed this life for his forever home in Heaven on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford.

Born July 1, 1942, in Milford, he was the son of the late Harry Ennis Mayhew Sr. and Frances L. Abbott Mayhew. He was a lifelong son of Milford, and the town shaped him twice over — first as the place he grew up, and later as the place he chose to come home to.

He graduated from Milford High School, class of 1960, where he met Norma Hopkins, who would become his wife.

He went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1964 and accepting a commission in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He married Norma two days later.

A Ranger-qualified officer, he completed two tours of duty in Vietnam, then returned to West Point as an instructor in the Math Department, followed by three years of service in Germany. The family later made their home in Chantilly, Virginia, where he served at the Pentagon and at Arlington Hall Station. He retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He and Norma then came home to Milford, where they remained for the rest of his life. He never stopped teaching. In retirement he taught Math at Christian Tabernacle Academy and Milford Christian School, carrying into those classrooms the same work he had done at West Point.

He was a faithful member of First Baptist Church of Milford and a member of Gideons International. He was also a founding member of the Milford Community Band — an organization that continues to bring music to the town he loved. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, playing his cornet, and many years vacationing with family in the Outer Banks. Those who knew him will remember him as a man devoted to his faith and family.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Norma Hopkins Mayhew, of Milford; two sons, William J. Mayhew Jr. and his wife, Debby, of Waleska, Georgia, and Kent Allen Mayhew and his wife, Cindy, of Galloway, New Jersey; his sister, Susan Cooper, and her husband, Dicky, of Milford; and four grandchildren, Drake, Andrew, Joy, and Savannah. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, Harry E. "Skip" Mayhew Jr., and Skip's wife, Ethel.

A viewing will be held on Friday, October 9, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Milford, 6062 Old Shawnee Rd., Milford, DE 19963. A funeral service will begin at 1:00 p.m., with burial immediately following at Hollywood Cemetery in Harrington. Interment and military honors will follow at Hollywood Cemetery in Harrington.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to The Gideons International (P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214 or online at gideons.org/donate), Delaware Hospice (100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963 or online at delawarehospice.org/donate), or to the First Baptist Church of Milford.

Services are in the care of Berry-Short Funeral Home in Milford, Delaware. Online condolences may be shared at https://www.shortfuneralservicesandcremation.com/.