William (“Bill”) J. Chalko, Jr., son of William J. and Josie E. Chalko, passed away on July 27, 2021. He was born and raised in Corpus Christi. After serving 22 years, he retired as a Master Sergeant from the United States Marine Corps. Bill served two tours of duty in Viet Nam and earned a Purple Heart. He married his wife Sang in 1977 and together they raised three children.
After his retirement from the Corps, Bill worked at Solar Turbines until 2011. He was an active member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 8157. BIll served two terms as the Grand Knight and was also a district deputy. As Grand Knight, he helped with establishing a Catholic Daughters of America court at Holy Spirit and oversaw the first Knights of Columbus major degree ceremony for the parish.
Bill liked to keep busy, whether it was occasionally working on his Datsun 240Z or working in the yard, planting trees and tending to a vegetable garden. He had a soft spot for animals and always had a dog.
Bill had a larger than life personality and never met a stranger. He will be remembered for his kindness to others and always trying to get people to smile.