William Stanley "Bill" Kratz, age 81, of Owings, MD died April 17, 2009 at Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, MD. He was born March 21, 1928 in Prince Frederick and raised in Owings. He attended the former Fairview Elementary School in Chaneyville and Calvert High School in Prince Frederick. He graduated from McDonough School in Owings Mills, Md., class of 1946, when it was a military preparatory school.

He entered the U.S. Army on October 1, 1946, and served in a medical unit in occupied Germany. He was awarded the WWII Victory, Army of Occupation, Berlin Airlift and Good Conduct Medals. While stationed in Germany he met and married Irmgard W. Kirchhof on June 23, 1947 in Frankfurt, Germany. He was discharged from the Army as a corporal on October 11, 1951, and returned with his wife to Owings to live and raise their family.

He worked as a farmer, and was also employed for several years by the Calvert County Agriculture Extension Service to measure tobacco crop acreage. In 1959 he began a career in security with the Federal Government at the Naval Research Lab Chesapeake Beach Annex, retiring in 1984 as Chief of Security. He was a member of Friendship United Methodist Church, Calvert County Farm Bureau, and American Legion Stallings-Williams Post 206 in Chesapeake Beach, Md. He enjoyed sports, especially baseball and football, playing golf, watching game shows and gardening. He loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.

Bill was preceded in death by sons Richard W. Kratz and William S. Kratz III, and by a sister Barbara Ellen Kratz. He is survived by his wife Irmgard W. Kratz, a son Michael A. Kratz and wife Laura of Owings, a sister Katharine R. Wilson of Owings, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Arrangements provided by Rausch Funeral Home.