Here is the information you requested on: Paper: Bakersfield Californian Bottoms, William 1/8/2001article Bottoms, William "Bill" Charles 1/10/2001obituary [email protected] The Bakersfield Californian, Wednesday, January 10, 2001 William "Bill" Charles Bottoms Services: Thurs., Jan. 11, 10 a.m. Bill was born on June 5, 1965 in Denver City, Texas and passed from this life on Saturday, January 6, 2001 in San Luis Obispo, California. He graduated from Wasco Union High School in 1983, served in the U.S. Air Force, graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1995. He was employed with Loyd's Aviation in Bakersfield bill was a pilot for 10 years and a certified instructor. Bill is survived by his mother and step-father, Mac and Jerry Kendrick of Brownfield, TX; his father, Ralph Bottoms of Shafter, CA; his brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Sandra Bottoms of Bakersfield, CA; sisters and brothers-in-law, Terri and Ed Rogers of Kress, TX., Vicki and Doug Melcher of Brownfield, TX. And his youngest sister, Lisa Bottoms of Gainesville, TX. He is also survived by four nieces and three nephews. Friends and family: Visitation Wed. from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Park. The Bakersfield Californian, Monday, January 8, 2001 Headline: 2 die in private plane crash San Luis Obispo - Two Bakersfield residents died Saturday evening when their small Cessna plane crashed about one mile south of San Luis Obispo airport, officials reported Sunday. The occupants of the plane were pilot William Bottoms, 35, and his passenger Leah Richardson, 25, the director of marketing for Meadows Field, said Sgt. Mike Sheridan of the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department. The plane took off about 8:15 p.m and crashed shortly thereafter, said Raymond Bishop, Kern County director of airports. The two had been on a date Saturday and had visited Hearst Castle earlier. They were returning to Bakersfield when the plane went down, Bishop said. The airport tower was closed when Bottoms took off Saturday night, said Carolyn Huber, operation supervisor for the San Luis Obispo County airport. There was no call of distress from the plane. The fog was thick near the airport Saturday night, Huber said. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the weekend crash. The plane was a 1964 Cessna 172 F, owned by James T. Allen of Bakersfield, officials said. Richardson had worked at Meadows Field for about a year, Bishop said. "She was really a capable person.... We will miss her greatly," Bishop said. Her late grandfather had worked for the airport as the deputy airport director. She was from Frankfort, Ind., and attended college at Northwestern Christian College in Minneapolis. Before she worked for the Bakersfield airport, Richardson worked at a bank near her hometown. Bottoms was a "highly qualified" pilot and was also a certified flying instructor, Bishop said. He worked for Loyd's Aviation Services Inc. in Bakersfield and had been a pilot for about 10 years, said his brother, Steve Bottoms. He was a graduate of Wasco High School and had a bachelor's degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, his brother said. He was divorced and had no children, Bottoms said. William Bottoms had wanted to be a pilot since his days in the U. S. Air Force, his brother said. He became an instructor to gain more experience so he could apply to be an airline pilot. "He was a real caring guy, real active, real nice to everybody," Bottoms said. He said his brother enjoyed skiing, rock climbing and hiking. Sharon Kern Co Volunteer