William Fitch Cheney IV “Bill”

William Fitch Cheney IV “Bill”

SCIO – William Fitch Cheney IV (Bill), 87, of Scio, NY, passed away on Tuesday (April 21, 2026), after a courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving wife and children at the time of his passing.

Born on January 9, 1939, in Willimantic, Connecticut, to William F. and Helene (Walter) Cheney, Bill’s lifelong curiosity and drive were evident early. At age 14, he earned his amateur radio license (call signs W1YWU and W8AEI), a hobby he pursued with passion for decades.

He graduated from the University of Connecticut at age 20 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and participated in ROTC. In 1959, he was commissioned into the United States Air Force, where he served with distinction for 26½ years, retiring as a full Colonel in 1985. His career included a tour in Vietnam; assignments at a radar station in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; service as a Missile Launch Officer at Cape Canaveral, Florida; a posting at the Pentagon; and two tours at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. He earned a master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a PhD in Strategic Management from Purdue University. His final active-duty assignment was with the Electronic Systems Division at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. He retired with a memorable ceremony aboard the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) in Boston Harbor.

After his military service, Bill worked for 10 years at Lockheed Martin. He then fulfilled a longtime dream by building a custom cedar home in Scio, New York—a project that inspired him to launch his own business, Cheney Custom Cedar Homes, which he operated for 10 years before retiring in 2006.

Bill shared 66 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Daley. Together, they raised six children and created a close-knit family that remained central to his life. He was preceded in death by his third son, Steven E. Cheney. He is survived by his wife Betty; children William R. (Brenda) Cheney, Katherine A. Alley, David A. (Olga) Cheney, Susan M. (Eric) Otto, and Kenneth V. Cheney; 18 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

The family’s cedar home on the hill, affectionately known as “VEAMAR Vista,” became a beloved gathering place for the extended family. An avid reader, Bill maintained a library of more than 6,000 books, along with numerous professional journals. In his later years, Bill enjoyed traveling to visit his children and grandchildren, tending his large homestead from his John Deere tractor, and—more often than not—defeating family members in spirited games of Words with Friends and Canasta.  Bill will be remembered for his intellect, determination, patriotism, and deep devotion to his family.

There will be an hour of calling from 10-11 a.m. MONDAY (April 27, 2026) at the Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home, 285 Main St., Hornell where a funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. MONDAY. Private interment, with military honors, will follow at Alfred Rural Cemetery, Alfred Station, NY.

The United States flag and the Air Force flag will proudly fly at the Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home in recognition of Bill’s military service.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516, (woundedwarriorproject.org), the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hyland Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306 (t2t.org) or the American Head & Neck Society (AHNS),15821 Ventura Blvd., Suite 400, Encino, CA 91436 (ahns.info). Envelopes for memorial contributions will be available at the funeral home.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the Allegany County Hospice team, the Jones Memorial Hospital Comfort Care team, and Bill’s oncology caregivers for their compassionate support and dignity in his final days.

Online condolences or remembrances of Bill are welcome below on the Facebook page of Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home.

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