Obituary of William Senter

Lt. General William Oscar Senter

(1910-2009)

Retired Air Force Lt. General Wm. Oscar Senter died April 19, 2009, at the age of 98. A native of Abilene, Texas, Lt. Gen. Senter had lived in Tequesta and Palm City, Florida, since 1975. He was preceded in death by his wives, Ruth Jane Tinsley (1967) and Carolyn Fallon (2003).

Lt. General Senter had a long and distinguished military career. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1933 and earned his aircraft pilot rating the following year. He received post-graduate education in meteorology and physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later completed a Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. During World War II, he was responsible for the establishment of U.S. military meteorological services throughout the United Sates and in overseas theaters of war operations. After the war, he was responsible for reestablishing the Japanese meteorological and seismological services. He returned to the United States in 1948, and after graduating from the Air War College commanded the Air Weather Service of the U.S. Air Force until 1954. After a series of command postings at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma and Wright-Patterson Air force Base in Ohio, Lt. Gen. Senter was appointed Director of Petroleum Logistics Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

After his retirement from the military in 1966, Lt. Gen. Senter organized the Natural Gas Supply Association in Washington, D.C. This organization of natural gas suppliers was formed to work for the development of stable and continuous supplies of natural gas energy for the nation. He retired from this position in 1974.

Lt. Gen Senter is survived by two daughters; Suellen Senter of Oakland, CA, and R. Jane Senter of Bigfork, MT. In addition, his survivors include two grandchildren; Michelle Bolle' of Aptos, CA., and Ken Bolle' of Felton, CA., and four great-grandchildren. Lt. General Senter will be interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.