Darril Clark Bill

Gilbert Funeral Home and Crematory

Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | May 31, 2025

Darril Clark Bill (“D.C.”), 59, was a lifelong adventurer who called many places

“Home”- McKeesport, PA; Peachtree City, GA; Orlando FL; and Blue Ridge, GA.

His final days were spent making his mark in Chattanooga, TN, where he passed away on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

_______

Darril was born in 1966 in McKeesport, PA to Faik D. Bill and Janice M. (Grimes) Bill.

Driven by his love of Country and passion for aviation, Darril graduated from The U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988 and fulfilled his dream of becoming an Air Force pilot. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and retired after 22 years of service.

In 1997, Darril joined Delta Airlines as a commercial airline pilot. At the time of his death, he was a newly-minted A-350 Captain flying all around the world.

A dedicated student of life, Darril’s love of learning made him a jack-of-all-trades, and his work ethic made him a master of most. You were just as likely to find him in his workshop repairing an antique pinball machine as you were to encounter him absorbed in a book on history or government. He had a movie quote for every occasion, and legend has it he would sometimes moonlight as Batman.

Whether he was enacting elaborate pranks he devised, researching & documenting the story behind a cherished collectible he had tracked down, or helping his daughters perfect their résumés, Darril always lived up to his playful ideal of “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing”. (Reader note: he also applied this life motto when pouring powdered sugar onto his pancakes.)

Of all his remarkable endeavors, Darril was most proud of the loving family he and his wife, Kimberly (Pasternak) Bill, built together over their nearly-37 years of marriage. The births of their daughters, Katelyn and Nora, led Darril to discovering his greatest life purpose: loving his girls and raising them to do good in the world.

Darril dreamed of retiring with his wife to his beloved cabin in the mountains of Blue Ridge, where they could watch the breathtaking sunsets and continue creating joyful new memories with their daughters, extended family, and dear friends.

Through his outstanding devotion as a husband & father, his loyalty and goodness as a family member & friend, and the kindness and respect he showed to everyone he met, Darril left the world a brighter place than he found it. Although his time on Earth was far too brief, his legacy will span generations.

For all who love him, we can honor his memory by having more adventures, pursuing our passions, spending more time with the people we love, and enacting more good in the world.

As for Darril, “Mischief Managed”.

(at least for now)

Darril is survived by his loving wife and their two daughters; brother, Darric (Kimberly) Bill; father and mother-in-law, John and Peggy Pasternak; brother and sister-in-law, John and Kristen Pasternak; nephews Jared, Camdyn, and Trevyn Bill; and nieces, Brianna and Bethany Pasternak.

He was preceded in death by both of his parents and his brother, Darrin Bill.

.Friends are welcome on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Gilbert Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 6028 Smithfield Street, Boston, Elizabeth Township (412) 751-5000 Drew J. Gilbert, Director. Funeral service will be held Liberty Presbyterian Church, 900 Elizabeth St, McKeesport, PA 15133 on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 10:00 am. Burial with full military honors will follow at Mt. Vernon Cemetery, Elizabeth Township. Condolences may be made at GilbertFuneralHomeandCrematory.com

Originally published May 31, 2025.

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