William Edgar Cuppernell February 3, 1948- July 11, 2024

William Edgar Cuppernell (Bill) age 76, passed away on 07/11/2024 in Mission Viejo, California. Born on February 3, 1948, in the upstate community of Watertown, New York. His parents, John and Delia Cuppernell, were from a hardworking neighborhood known for its nearby Army base of Fort Drum and its close proximity to the Canadian border.

It was a hard existence, and coming from very humble means, as the youngest of five, he was primarily free to roam the streets of Watertown at an early age. Experiencing the exceptionally harsh winters and the often adverse conditions of poverty in a frequently violent neighborhood, Bill, small in stature, was forced to fight every day.

This toughened him, but he always retained his good heart. He had a loving mother who continued to provide support and a father who was often absent, so he lacked guidance. He had to learn most things by himself, but he always instinctively retained the belief in treating all people right.

Bill could be sarcastic for sure, and could definitely dish it out with the best of them, but always in a humorous manner. He was an extremely hilarious guy who, throughout his life, lived by one adage: "Never take life too seriously; you'll never come out of it alive."

He believed it and lived it. As a young man constantly being shifted from New York to California, where he met the love of his life, Shelia, he lacked direction and, as a teenager at the age of 17, needed a path away from his aimless roaming lifestyle.

After a run-in with the law due to bad influences, he turned to the military to change his life's course. Working menial jobs in fast food, he visited the Marine Corps recruiter and was advised that he would need his parents’ permission to enlist, as he had just reached the minimum age requirement.

His parents, realizing he lacked discipline and needed a path for a future, signed the paperwork, and he was off to an adventure that would be both rewarding and harrowing. In 1965, with the Vietnam War heating up, he was off to the notorious Marine Corps boot camp and the extreme harshness of a regimen that prepared him for the brutality of battle.

Even before the age of 18, he received orders for Vietnam. Through an act of circumventing protocol, he was off to war, landing via amphibious assault on his birthday, February 3, 1966.

Through months in the Vietnamese jungle, he fought, bled, struggled in the intense heat, and experienced great loss, witnessing his best friend die beside him in battle.

Returning to the states, he soon became a civilian again and married his beloved Shelia. However, it took him years to fully recover from the cruelty and savagery of battle, but he never lost the scars that both internal and external, that remained with him the rest of his life.

As a searcher and traveler, he moved across coasts but always provided for his family. Working as a Quality Control inspector for several top Aerospace companies working on several high level projects, from defense to The Space Shuttle. He raised a family, had three children, four grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and cared for lots of dogs and cats.

He was truly loved by his devoted wife Shelia who preceded him in death in 2016, and his beautiful baby daughter Shannon Lynn who passed on Christmas eve 1969..

He is survived by his three children Cherie, William M, and Daniel, sisters Joanne & Katherine and his grandchildren Ashley, Zack, Kimbely & Elizabeth, as well as great grandchildren Oliver, Sebastian, and Viviana

He was a man of exceptional character, who lived up to his mantra of humor every day, and was truly loved by his friends and family. He will always be honored, loved, and respected in all our hearts. Now with his beloved Shelia and his Daughter Shannon, and many family and friends that have gone before, and his many dogs and cats. Love you forever Dad, we’ll meet you home on God’s golden shore, Semper Fi!