William “Bill” Lincoln Horne passed away peacefully on June 6, 2026.
Bill was born in June of 1934 in Bluefield, West Virginia. He graduated from Welch High School and Davidson College before he was commissioned to the United States Navy in 1957. Bill married Ellen Ellegaard of Copenhagen, Denmark, in May of 1959, and together they
traveled to many duty stations, including Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Bill proudly served his country for 27 years and retired in his last duty station, New Orleans, Louisiana, as a Captain.
While in New Orleans, Bill was an active member of the Mardi Gras Krewe ALLA and the Algiers Kiwanis Club. After Hurricane Katrina, Bill and Ellen moved back to his home state of West Virginia and settled in Lewisburg, where he could often be found on his front porch enjoying a martini and listening to Patsy Cline or Hank Williams.
A lifelong conservative, Bill was an active member of the Greenbrier
County Republican Club for many years.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Sammie Horne of Pulaski, Virginia, his brother, Captain Andy Horne, MD, of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and his grandson David Armstrong of Clinton, Louisiana.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ellen E. Horne, his daughters, Susanne Bromke (Keith) of Lynchburg, Virginia, Karen Armstrong (Kyle) of Clinton, Louisiana, and Kay Horne of Lewisburg. Bill was the proud granddaddy of Ryan, Anna, and Reid Armstrong, and Sarah, Wade (Naomi), and Keith Bromke, Jr.
Bill wished to name some lifelong friends as honorary pallbearers: “Shipmates” CAPT Roy Stoddard, LCDR Bob Green, LCDR Denis Condon, and CMC Norm Umholz, along with Kiwanis buddies Dave Singleton and Russell Kercher, and New Orleans neighbors, Ann McClindon and Lisa Wilkerson.
Funeral arrangements will be under the direction of Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home in Lewisburg. A Celebration of Life service will be held at the funeral home on July 10 at 3pm with visitation starting at 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, Bill requested donations be made to some of his favorite charities: The Shriners Children’s Hospital, The Wounded Warrior Project, Tunnels2Towers Project, or the Peyton Hospice House in Lewisburg.
The Horne family wishes to express their gratitude to the many caregivers who provided such compassionate care during his time in hospice.