Warren W. Willis, 90, of Joplin, died August 3, 2013, at Spring River Christian Village, his home since 2012.

He was born November 22, 1922, in Kirwin, KS, the son of Ulysses S. Grant and Grace Brewer Willis.

On January 6, 1946, he married Helene E. Jensen of Soldier, IA, in Omaha, NE. Warren attended the Kirwin farm school and Agra High School. He started his college studies at Kansas State University in Manhattan in 1940, but duty called and he enlisted in the Navy v-5 cadet aviation program following Pearl Harbor and upon completion of half of his college studies.

Warren's civilian pilot training took place in Fairbury, NE; and the Naval training program for pilots followed in Iowa City, IA. His primary flight training took him to Minneapolis, MN, and intermediate flight training on to Pensacola, FL. Just prior to graduation there he was given the option of applying for a commission in the Marine Corps rather than as a Naval officer. He was accepted in April 1944 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve. He continued flight training in Miami and was part of a squadron put together in Newport, AR. His next stop was the Miramar Air Station in San Diego, CA. His destination was the Marshall and Caroline Islands. Warren's SBW-3 was nicknamed "One Weakness." He put in many flight hours in the Pacific during WW II. Upon return following the surrender and end of the war he reported to Cherry Point, NC. Following discharge and after visiting his mother in Oberlin, KS, he went to Omaha, NE, to propose to Helene Jensen whom he'd met through her brother, Harv. They were married in Omaha in January 1946.

Warren then returned to his studies at Kansas State and decided to pursue civil engineering instead of electrical engineering. He worked at the Power Plant at K State as his older brothers had done while completing his degree. He graduated in 1947. His jobs took him to Atlantic, IA; Iola, KS; Belmond, IA; and finally Marshalltown, IA, which became home base for the family. He became a business partner of Don Thompson in Marshalltown; and they formed Thompson, Willis, & Company. He retired in the mid 1970's, and he and Helene moved first to Greers Ferry Lake, AR, and later to Edinburgh and Pharr, TX. In 2001 he and Helene moved closer to family in Joplin, MO.
Warren valued his family above all else but liked the slogan he created for himself of "Farmer-Pilot-Engineer." He never forgot his Kansas roots.

Survivors include Helene, daughters Janet Willis Weidner of Colorado Springs and Angie Patton of Berryville, AR, and sons-in-law Claus Weidner and Greg Patton. His four sons are Keith Willis of Clovis, CA; Dale Willis of Ogden, UT; Dean Willis of Joplin and daughter-in-law Beth; and Wayne Willis of Loveland, CO, and daughter-in-law JoAnn. He was grandfather to 14 and great grandfather to 20 children.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Jane Swartz and Ann Dimond, and two brothers, Noble and Morris Willis, along with their spouses.

A memorial graveside service will be held Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. in the Kirwin Cemetery, Kirwin, KS with Pastor Dave Pugh officiating. He will be laid to rest alongside his parents and oldest sister, Jane.