COL William Staehle III, Retired

Colonel William Staehle III, born on 19 September 1934 to the late William Jr. and Agnes (Komatz) Staehle, passed away at age 86 on November 20, 2020 in Fayetteville, NC.

An Evans Scholar, he attended Northwestern University from 1952-54 and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Northwestern University Dental School in 1958. He won an Army scholarship and was a 2LT on active duty for his senior year of dental school.

COL Staehle’s assignments took him to Fort Ord, CA; Sacramento Signal Depot, CA, as Post Dental Surgeon; Post Dental Surgeon, 8th Logistical Command and Chief, Hospital Dental Service, 25th Station Hospital, Liborno, Italy; OIC, Caldwell Army Dental Clinic, Fort Riley, Kansas; Commanding Officer, 40th Dental Detachment, Vietnam; Executive Officer, US Army Regional Dental Activity, Walter Reed Army Medical Center. More recently, COL Staehle served as Director of Dental Activities at SHAPE Hospital in Belgium where he was personal dentist to General Alexander Haig and General Andrew Goodpaster, both Supreme Allied Commanders; Executive Officer of DENTAC at Fort Jackson, SC, and also OIC of 28 chair Committee from 1976-79; one of only two dentists in the Department of Defense – Deputy Staff Director and Chief, Dental Instruments, Supplies and Equipment of the Defense Medical Materiel Board from 1979-83; appointed full-time Consultant to the Surgeon General in Field Dentistry at Fort Sam Houston, TX, from 1983-85. Since then COL Staehle has served as Deputy Commander, US Army Dental Activity, Fort Bragg, NC, and as Chairman, Credentials Committee, Chairman, Awards Committee, Chairman, Quality Assurance Committee and Director, Dental Education.

COL Staehle graduated from Baylor University/US Army Program in Health Care Administration with Master of Hospital Administration (MHA) Degree in 1969. He has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Order of Military Medical Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal and Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC). In 1980, COL Staehle passed the oral and written boards to move from Nomineeship to full Member, American College of Healthcare Executives (formerly American College of Hospital Administrators). He was the only known dentist to have accomplished this. Col Staehle retired with 30 years of distinguished military service, and went on to live in Fayetteville, NC with his beloved wife Shirley.

The family of Col. Staehle would like to thank the gentleman that helped Mrs. Staehle that Friday morning. His kindness, comfort and willingness to help is something that she will never forget.

A graveside service will be held at 10 AM on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of COL William Staehle III, Retired, please visit our floral store.