Arthur "Bill" Willis, a resident of Wallingford, PA, passed away on January 27, 2026.  Arthur was born in England in December 1930. He was just eight years old when World War II erupted, literally in his own backyard; his family lived in London, the virtual epicenter of Nazi aggression, throughout the grim days of the blitzkrieg .  Arthur never forgot the hiss of buzz bombs, the clamor of V2 rockets.

After the allied victory, life gradually returned to normal. Arthur attended high school, left after three years to become an electrician's apprentice, and later joined the British Army. During his two years of national service, he displayed a talent for music. He started playing the trumpet, and when he left the army, fielded offers from several professional bands.

Of course, his mum, who wanted her only son to have a "proper job," insisted he graduate as an electrician. But shortly thereafter, Arthur was off playing with many famous bands in the golden era of big bands, swing, and jazz.

Along the way, he picked up the bagpipes. Soon he was playing reels, jigs and strathspeys at functions throughout the British Isles, including the fabled castles of Scotland.

Arthur played with the orchestras of the RMS Queen Elizabeth I and the SS Ariadne out of Miami. There, the so-called "English Society Orchestra" and its gregarious horn player made many American friends.

Traveling the world, Arthur performed for and met such luminaries as Lord Avon (Anthony Eden), and Salvador Dali (complete with ocelot on a leash). Arthur had a lovely (and oft-repeated) anecdote about swimming with French film star Leslie Caron, and working as an extra in the film Cleopatra (with "his co-star, Liz Taylor").

On the birth of his first child, a son, Arthur settled down and opened a music store, which soon grew into three music stores. He sold the business in 1980, then opened Swarthmore Laundry.

Arthur took many cruises as a dance host for most of the leading cruise lines, and his enthusiasm for that life has never waned.

Arthur is survived by his son, Arthur William IV; his daughter, Garland Focht; and his grandchildren Betsy, Jake and Autumn.

Friends and family are invited to Arthur's services on Friday, February 6, 2026 at Rigby Harting & Hagan Funeral Home. Calling from 10-11 am. The funeral service will begin at 11 am followed by burial at Media Cemetery.