William Sinclair Obituary

Colonel William "Bill" Donald
Sinclair
December 27, 1924
January 7, 2026

Colonel William Donald Sinclair "Bill" USAF (Retired) was born in Inglewood, California to Arthur Livingston and Lillian Mae (Holt) Sinclair on December 27, 1924. He was a graduate of Inglewood High School and St. Martin's University in Lacey, Washington.
Bill was a devoted husband for over five decades. He met his wife Barbara at Los Angeles International Airport where they both worked following WWII. Bill was employed by United Airlines, while Barbara worked for TWA.
Bill had a long and distinguished 32-year military career. He was drafted into the US Army during WWII on 26 March 1943 and served on active duty from 1943 to 1945 in the ranks of Corporal, Flight Officer, and 2nd Lieutenant. He flew 17 combat bombing missions over Germany and (then) Yugoslavia as a lead navigator in a Consolidated B-24 Liberator assigned to the US Army Air Forces while stationed in the Southern boot of Italy from the winter of 1944 to the spring of 1945. His crew position was in the very front of the bomber, surrounded by glass, watching flak exploding and German fighters (guns a blazing) zoom close by. The HBO/Apple TV+ special Masters of the Air shows the extreme peril faced by men like Bill in those bombers during World War II.
After the war, Bill served in the US Army Reserves from 1945 to 1947. When the US Air Force became a separate service in 1947, he left the Army and transferred to the Air Force.
In 1951, Lt. Sinclair served as a single seat fighter pilot in the Korean War. He flew 109 air-to-ground combat missions in the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, earning the United States Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1954, Capt. Sinclair was hand-selected for an elite exchange with the US Navy onboard the aircraft carrier USS Boxer (CVA-21) to East Asia. While deployed, Capt. Sinclair logged more than 103 fighter pilot flight hours and completed 143 carrier arrested landings in the Grumman F9F-6 Cougar.
From 1972 to 1973, then Colonel Sinclair was called into combat for the third time in his illustrious career. He logged more than 900 combat hours during the Vietnam War onboard a Lockheed EC-130 Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC). His role was to control and direct air battle and air-to-ground strikes in a significant part of Southeast Asia.
Throughout his four-decade military career, Colonel Sinclair flew 17 combat missions/over 100 combat hours in WWII as a navigator, 109 combat missions/over 200 combat hours in the Korean War as a fighter pilot, and in Vietnam more than 100 combat missions/900+ combat hours as a Senior Airborne Battlefield Commander. His total flight time in peacetime and during three wars was 5700 hours (1200+ combat hours) in 17 different aircraft from the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. In 1975, Bill retired as a Colonel.
There is a wonderful documentary which details his military exploits in the Library of Congress, "Veterans History Project Collection: Korean War in the Air, William Donald Sinclair Collection."
In 1975, the Sinclairs moved back to Colorado Springs where Bill lived for the next fifty years. Although he retired from the military, Bill's passion for service did not cease. He worked as a Business Administrator at several local churches and was an active member and President of the Pikes Peak Chapter/The Retired Officers Association. Additionally, Bill served as President of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs (1985 to 1986), was "Rotarian of the Year" (1987), and was an 8-time Paul Harris Fellow where he was awarded for significant contributions to the Rotary Foundation and dedication to "service above self"--an astounding 48-year member!
His next avenue of service was as a Republican legislator from 1996 to 2004, where Bill served in the Colorado State House of Representatives for District 16. He won four general elections overwhelmingly. Representative Sinclair was known for "reaching across the aisle" to serve Colorado's citizens. At 80 years of age, in 2004, he decided not to run for re-election to the Colorado State House but was asked by the Democrat Governor to assist him in Colorado State Military Veterans Affairs, which Bill did for the next four years.
Following his service as a Colorado legislator, Bill and Barb enjoyed traveling the world and spending time with family. They went on cruises, traveled throughout Europe with friends, and visited Hawaii. Bill, Barb, and the family thoroughly enjoyed their four decades of membership at both Garden of the Gods Resort & Club and Colorado Springs Country Club where Barb and Scott golfed and Vicky played tennis.
Bill was preceded in death by his beloved bride of 51 years Barbara Jean Sinclair (Hughes), who passed on May 4, 2010, at age 86 as well as his five siblings: Robert Livingston Sinclair, John Edward Sinclair, Richard Gordon Sinclair, Diane Adele Sinclair, and Hazel Virginia Sinclair. Bill is survived by his son Scott Sinclair of Colorado Springs, Colorado and his daughter Vicky Sinclair of Rockwall, Texas. He is also survived by his wonderful grandchildren: Ashley Allbritton (David) of Bellevue, Washington; Rachael Fujiwara (Garrett) of Richardson, Texas; Wesley Sinclair (Samantha) of Kirkland, Washington; Jordan Sinclair (Megan) of Seattle, Washington and Kate Sinclair of Tacoma, Washington. Additionally, nine great-grandchildren survive him.
Bill passed peacefully in his home on January 7, 2026, at 101 years of age. We are grateful to his caregivers. His family and friends celebrate Bill's life as brave, heroic, patriotic, compassionate, and loving. He will be dearly missed, but we know he is with his beloved wife Barb and for now and evermore with Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Shrine of Remembrance, 1730 E. Fountain Blvd, Colorado Springs, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs or First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs in honor of Colonel William Donald Sinclair USAF (Retired).