WASHINGTON — We are getting uplifted by celebrating the life and legacy of a D.C. native who served his community and his nation with pride and dignity.
We first introduced you to William Fauntroy Jr. during his 95th birthday celebration. Friends, family and neighbors honored him with a parade of over 60 cars.
Fauntroy joined the military during World War II, and was assigned to the famous Tuskegee Army Airfield for training.
The war ended just before he completed his training, and he was discharged as an aviation cadet.
Fauntroy — who also attended Howard University — later became the first Black civil engineer hired by the predecessor for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He was the urban planner for the portion of the subway system built in the District.
Fauntroy entered hospice care last week, and we are told by his family that he passed away at the age of 97. We are uplifted by the D.C. man who left behind a legacy that we are all the richer because of.
RELATED: Car parade helps 95-year-old DC native, Tuskegee Airman celebrate his birthday | Get Uplifted
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