Obituary for Ikemefuna
Requirements:
1. Use as many details from the text as possible! If it’s not in the text, you may make it up,
BUT make it realistic!
2. Thesis statement
3. At least 3 paragraphs, double-spaced
4. Information to include:
1. Picture
2. Name
3. Age at death
4. Place of birth
5. Residence at time of death
6. Family (biological and adoptive) and friends
7. Quote from a friend or family member
8. Special pets
9. Favorite activities and/or notable accomplishments
10. Schools attended
11. Personality traits
12. An anecdote (story) from his life
13. Cause of death
14. Time, date, and place of funeral
15. Where people should make a memorial contribution. If you'd rather people not send
flowers, tell them where they can make a contribution. Think about what Ikemefuna, not
you, would want.
An example is on the back.
R.I.P. Ikemefuna
Bill Koutrouba's three tours in Vietnam as a combat medic were just the beginning of the help he gave his
fellow soldiers coping with the wounds of war.
In battle, he stanched bleeding limbs and held soldiers as they took their last breaths. He received six Purple
Heart awards for his own wounds in combat, and three Silver Star medals for bravery.
At home, the Spanaway resident became a pioneering advocate for post-traumatic-stress care in the Puget
Sound area during the 1980s and 1990s. He spoke up about his inner battles and guided veterans on civilian
tours to Southeast Asia to confront their memories.
Mr. Koutrouba, 70, died Oct. 13 at Madigan Army Medical Center after a long illness.
In his last days, he received praise from Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, who thanked him in a
letter for his service during the war and his willingness later in life to speak out about post-traumatic-stress
disorder (PTSD).
"It is impossible to determine just how many people you saved in your lifetime," she wrote. "I imagine it is
legions."
Mr. Koutrouba is survived by his wife of 43 years, Burnice Koutrouba. They knew each other as children
growing up in Boston and reconnected in 1969 after Mr. Koutrouba's third and final tour in Vietnam.
The couple raised their five children from previous marriages in Spanaway.
Mr. Koutrouba retired from the Army out of Fort Lewis in 1979 as a sergeant first class. He went to work for
the VA at American Lake and lobbied to receive disability for his PTSD.
Funeral services for Mr. Koutrouba are scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Monday at Mount Tahoma National Cemetery,
18600 S.E. 240th St., in Kent.