William Irving Silvernail, Jr., M.D., COL. USAF Retired, died December 25, 2019 in Dothan, Ala. Dr. Silvernail was born in Pittsfield, Mass., on June 6, 1926.

In 1954, Dr. Silvernail was commissioned as a 1st Lt. in the USAF Reserve Program. When he retired from active military duty in 1961, he entered private practice as a neurosurgeon in Harrisburg, Pa. During his years in Harrisburg, Dr. Silvernail was on the attending staff of Harrisburg Hospital, Harrisburg Polyclinic Hospital and Holy Spirit Hospital. He was clinical associate professor of neurosurgery at Pennsylvania State at Hershey and Hahnemann in Philadelphia. Dr. Silvernail was in practice in Harrisburg, Pa., for 11 years before re-locating to Dothan, Ala.

From 1961 until 1976, Dr. Silvernail was active in the Air Force Reserves serving in the Pennsylvania Guard at Olmsted Air Base, Pa., and Reserve units at Eglin AF Base, Fla., and Maxwell AF Base, Ala. Dr. Silvernail was awarded an aeronautical rating of Air Force chief flight surgeon in 1973. He completed the Air War College Associates’ Program in 1973. He retired as colonel in 1976.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce; daughter, Susan J. Silvernail; and son, W. Bradford Silvernail (Nicole M.) and grandchildren, Claudia Watkins, Irene Silvernail and Audrey Silvernail.