William Robert McCoy III March 29, 1947 - July 28, 2026

William “Bill” Robert McCoy III, 79, of Missoula, Montana, passed away on Tuesday evening, July 28, 2026. He went peacefully, with his beloved wife by his side.

Bill was born on March 29, 1947, in Missoula, Montana, to William Robert McCoy Jr. and Angeline Margaret (Loran) McCoy. He was the second oldest of five children and spent his entire life in Missoula. He attended Whittier School and went on to graduate from Hellgate High School. He came from a strong Irish Catholic family and remained Catholic his whole life.

Drafted out of high school, Bill served in the United States Army from 1966 through 1969. After basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, he moved on to Fort Eustis, Virginia, to train as a crew chief and helicopter mechanic. Bill could take apart a helicopter and put it back together. As crew chief, he was responsible for repairing the aircraft while on the ground; in the air, he manned the M60 as door gunner during combat — one of a four-man crew responsible for each other's lives aboard the UH-1B “Huey” gunship. He was deployed in Vietnam with A Company, 1st Aviation Battalion, 1st Infantry Division - the legendary "Big Red One," the oldest division in the Army and the first called to fight in Vietnam. It was a division that pioneered helicopter air-mobile warfare, which placed Bill and his aircraft at the center of the fight.

Stationed at Phu Loi Base Camp, he flew through four campaigns during the most defining years of the Vietnam War, including the historic Tet Offensive of 1968. One of Bill’s many missions was to fly his gunship ahead of troop-carrying helicopters to clear landing zones, staying overhead and covering men on the ground while they got in and out. The purpose was to draw fire so that others would not have to. He saw more combat than most soldiers of his generation and was shot down by enemy fire three times and survived.

After enduring the deadliest stretch for American soldiers during the entire war, he finished his tour and was transferred back to Virginia to train the next generation of crew chiefs on skills that he had to learn the hard way. Over a full combat tour, Bill was awarded the Air Medal with ten Oak Leaf Clusters — eleven awards in all — along with the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. He qualified as an expert marksman with the M-16 rifle and rose to the rank of Specialist 5 before his honorable discharge in 1969.

Bill came home in September of 1969 and went to work at two different mill companies: first pulling green chain at Anaconda Forest Products, and later working for The White Pine Sash Co. He stayed in the timber industry for 23 years, during which he put himself through school and earned an Associate Degree in Forestry. After changing industries, Bill decided to obtain a second Associate Degree in Building Maintenance Engineering, and became certified to work on air conditioning systems. He went on to work for the University of Montana for many years, from which he retired.

In 1986, Bill met his wife, PyNang, and they later married on April 10, 1993. With her came a daughter, Teunny, whom he raised and loved as if she was his very own flesh and blood. He was immensely proud of her and all her accolades throughout life — he did not hesitate to let anyone know, whether it was the checkout clerk at the grocery store, or his cardiologist. Bill gave Teunny a childhood full of love, laughter, experiences, support in all her endeavors, but most importantly, he gave her a devoted father. She became a licensed architect, and he proudly supported her through every step of the journey.

He was happiest when he was outdoors and fishing. Bill spent countless weekends hauling the camper and the boat out to the lake with his family and friends. One night, the fish were biting so fast that Bill never got a line in the water - he spent the whole night baiting hooks and unhooking fish while his wife, daughter, and her friend filled the buckets. It was a perfect childhood for his tomboy daughter.

Anybody that knew Bill also knew he was a giant kid at heart, who never outgrew his love of Mickey Mouse. Disney cruises were his favorite vacations to embark on. He traveled the world on many of these ships with his wife and wonderful friends. He had a beautiful life filled with travel, good food, great friendships, abundance of laughter, and the love and affection of family, friends, and neighbors. Most of all, Bill cherished being a husband and father. This was very apparent in the way he adored his wife and daughter. He deeply loved and cared for his wife for 40 years, as she was the most precious soul on earth to him. Their special bond remained strong and courageous, to the very end.

Bill is survived by his wife of 33 years, PyNang Noppakoon McCoy of Missoula; his daughter, Teunny McCoy-Rothe and her husband, Chad, of Scottsdale, Arizona; his sister, Nancy Elaine (McCoy) Loran of Billings; his brother, Robert William McCoy and his wife, Diana, of Lincoln, Nebraska. He is also survived by nieces and nephews: Patrick William Melby and his wife, Mary; Angela Ruth Melby; David Philip Loran and his wife, Jill; Nichole Elizabeth Loran; Calli (McCoy) Gable and her husband, Dustin; Briar McCoy and his wife, J'Nae. His surviving extensive family and friends will deeply miss him.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William Robert McCoy Jr. and Angeline Margaret (Loran) McCoy; his sister, Julie Ann (McCoy) Melby-Banschbach; his brother, Jack Frank McCoy; his brother-in-law, Gary John Loran; and his beloved dachshund and best friend, Brucie.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to honor Bill in a way that resonates with how he lived - with an act of kindness for someone who needs it. Bill was a fighter and survivor, but his heart remained gentle, kind and pure. He lived a life of quiet generosity. If you feel moved, do something kind for a stranger or a neighbor. Bill was humble and had no interest in recognition, he just wanted to show up for you, and his many acts of kindness will never be forgotten. If you would like to donate in honor of Bill, please consider the following foundations he generously and regularly gave to: Wounded Warrior Project, Doctors Without Borders, First Peoples Fund, The Poverello Center of Missoula, and Friends of Montana PBS.

The family will gather privately for military honors at the VA cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, September 4th, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at The Still Room (Mullan Hall reception) located at 1609 West Broadway Street, Missoula, MT — open house style and all are welcome.