Edgar William Willar's (Bill's) father, also named Edgar William Willar, was born in Newfoundland, emigrated to the United States in 1919, and married Bill's mother, Marion Shriver Harlan, in 1922. He worked at the Lancaster Stock yard in Lancaster Pennsylvania until he died in 1961 (he was Treasurer at the time). In addition to his father, both his grandfather and great grandfather were in the stockyard business. His grandfather, Joseph Harlan, was the Founder and President of Union Stock Yard from 1895 until his death in 1941. His great grandfather, Thomas Shriver, was President of the West Philadelphia Stock Yards until he died in 1915. The stockyard business proved to be very lucrative. When Thomas Shriver died in 1915, Bill's grandmother, Ella Shriver, one of five children, inherited more than one million dollars (equivalent to thirty million in 2022 dollars).
Bill was born and raised in Pennsylvania, graduated from the Valley Forge Military Academy, attended Colgate University in New York, and graduated from Haverford College with a degree in English/Communications. He had an early health scare with melanoma when he was 18 but it was in remission after two years. Bill's natural abilities and education led to an extensive career in the entertainment field under the name of Bill Edwards.
Bill had major responsibilities on local and network radio and television stations in San Francisco (1950s), Hawaii (1970s), Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia. At one point Bill was believed to be the highest paid radio broadcaster in the country. He also taught radio and public speaking at the University of Hawaii, Colgate University in New York State, and Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.
Bill was also an actor. He acted in several episodes of Bonanza and was that shows first announcer. Other television shows in which he acted, include; Dragnet, Sea Hunt, Blood and Orchids, Mr. Ed, Magnum P.I., and others. He is probably best known for his recurring role of Steve McGarrett's State Department contact Jonathan Kaye in the television series Hawaii Five-O where he played the role of Kaye for 11 episodes starting in season 5 with "Fools Die Twice" (October 1972) and lasting through season 10's "East Wind--Ill Wind" (December 1977). He also acted in the film Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and the television movies Pearl (1978) and Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985).
Bill was also a well-known scuba diver and instructor in the Southern California area. At one time he owned a dive shop in Reseda California near where he lived in Northridge; a suburb of Los Angeles. He was a president of the scuba diving organization NAUI and was involved in a number of search and recovery operations.
Bill was also active in a wide range of civic, cultural and health related organizatons.
He was married four times and had one daughter with his second wife Floramay Byers:
Wife #1 - Florence Lorraine Hillerman (1922-1975) - They were married in an elaborate and fashionable wedding in Saint Mary's Episcopal Church in Haddon Heights, New Jersey on May 19, 1945 (see attached article). They divorced after five years on September 28, 1951.
Wife #2 - Floramay "Babs" Byers (1920-1969) - They married on April 25, 1953 in the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church and divorced after about 12 years in 1964 or 1965. Floramay had two daughters from a prior marriage and had one more daughter with Bill.
Wife #3 - Cheryl Conte (1944) - Cheryl was the personal secretary to Zsa Zsa Gabor, a famous American movie and television personality. Edgar met Cheryl as a result of an appearance on a television program called "The Dating Game." He won a date with Zsa Zsa Gabor and the prize was a trip to England. When the trip concluded he got together with Cheryl and they ended up getting married on September 20, 1970 in a Rodeway Inn in Honolulu. Their marriage was underwater in the hotel pool. They divorced after 5 years in 1975.
Wife #4 - Beryl Margaret Hunter (1932-1995) - They married on December 25, 1979 in Honolulu and remained married for 16 years until Beryl died in 1995.
Bill was living with his sister Joan Willar Sheets in Princeton Junction, New Jersey at the time of his death from cancer. His permanent residence at that time was Belmont House (a name he gave his home) in Joshua Tree, California. He was cremated and his ashes spread at Lost Horse Cave, at Joshua Tree. He had been a park ranger at Joshua Tree National Monument (now a National Park) for many years. He also shares a headstone with his siblings in the Harlan family cemetery plot in Philadelphia.
Known addresses:
140 Montgomery Avenue, Lower Merion PA - 1930, 1940
Salt Lake City UT - 1946
124 Poinsetta Ave, San Mateo CA (San Francisco) - 1947, 1949, 1952
2828 Edison, San Mateo CA - 1954
1790 Hamlet Street, San Mateo CA - 1955
8618 Calvin Ave, Northridge CA (Los Angeles) - 1958, 1962
401 S Barrington Ave, Los Angeles - 1966
Honolulu HI - 1967
62381 Belmont Street, Joshua Tree, CA
Bill was born and raised in Pennsylvania, graduated from the Valley Forge Military Academy, attended Colgate University in New York, and graduated from Haverford College with a degree in English/Communications. He had an early health scare with melanoma when he was 18 but it was in remission after two years. Bill's natural abilities and education led to an extensive career in the entertainment field under the name of Bill Edwards.
Bill had major responsibilities on local and network radio and television stations in San Francisco (1950s), Hawaii (1970s), Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia. At one point Bill was believed to be the highest paid radio broadcaster in the country. He also taught radio and public speaking at the University of Hawaii, Colgate University in New York State, and Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.
Bill was also an actor. He acted in several episodes of Bonanza and was that shows first announcer. Other television shows in which he acted, include; Dragnet, Sea Hunt, Blood and Orchids, Mr. Ed, Magnum P.I., and others. He is probably best known for his recurring role of Steve McGarrett's State Department contact Jonathan Kaye in the television series Hawaii Five-O where he played the role of Kaye for 11 episodes starting in season 5 with "Fools Die Twice" (October 1972) and lasting through season 10's "East Wind--Ill Wind" (December 1977). He also acted in the film Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and the television movies Pearl (1978) and Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985).
Bill was also a well-known scuba diver and instructor in the Southern California area. At one time he owned a dive shop in Reseda California near where he lived in Northridge; a suburb of Los Angeles. He was a president of the scuba diving organization NAUI and was involved in a number of search and recovery operations.
Bill was also active in a wide range of civic, cultural and health related organizatons.
He was married four times and had one daughter with his second wife Floramay Byers:
Wife #1 - Florence Lorraine Hillerman (1922-1975) - They were married in an elaborate and fashionable wedding in Saint Mary's Episcopal Church in Haddon Heights, New Jersey on May 19, 1945 (see attached article). They divorced after five years on September 28, 1951.
Wife #2 - Floramay "Babs" Byers (1920-1969) - They married on April 25, 1953 in the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church and divorced after about 12 years in 1964 or 1965. Floramay had two daughters from a prior marriage and had one more daughter with Bill.
Wife #3 - Cheryl Conte (1944) - Cheryl was the personal secretary to Zsa Zsa Gabor, a famous American movie and television personality. Edgar met Cheryl as a result of an appearance on a television program called "The Dating Game." He won a date with Zsa Zsa Gabor and the prize was a trip to England. When the trip concluded he got together with Cheryl and they ended up getting married on September 20, 1970 in a Rodeway Inn in Honolulu. Their marriage was underwater in the hotel pool. They divorced after 5 years in 1975.
Wife #4 - Beryl Margaret Hunter (1932-1995) - They married on December 25, 1979 in Honolulu and remained married for 16 years until Beryl died in 1995.
Bill was living with his sister Joan Willar Sheets in Princeton Junction, New Jersey at the time of his death from cancer. His permanent residence at that time was Belmont House (a name he gave his home) in Joshua Tree, California. He was cremated and his ashes spread at Lost Horse Cave, at Joshua Tree. He had been a park ranger at Joshua Tree National Monument (now a National Park) for many years. He also shares a headstone with his siblings in the Harlan family cemetery plot in Philadelphia.
Known addresses:
140 Montgomery Avenue, Lower Merion PA - 1930, 1940
Salt Lake City UT - 1946
124 Poinsetta Ave, San Mateo CA (San Francisco) - 1947, 1949, 1952
2828 Edison, San Mateo CA - 1954
1790 Hamlet Street, San Mateo CA - 1955
8618 Calvin Ave, Northridge CA (Los Angeles) - 1958, 1962
401 S Barrington Ave, Los Angeles - 1966
Honolulu HI - 1967
62381 Belmont Street, Joshua Tree, CA
Edgar William Willar's (Bill's) father, also named Edgar William Willar, was born in Newfoundland, emigrated to the United States in 1919, and married Bill's mother, Marion Shriver Harlan, in 1922. He worked at the Lancaster Stock yard in Lancaster Pennsylvania until he died in 1961 (he was Treasurer at the time). In addition to his father, both his grandfather and great grandfather were in the stockyard business. His grandfather, Joseph Harlan, was the Founder and President of Union Stock Yard from 1895 until his death in 1941. His great grandfather, Thomas Shriver, was President of the West Philadelphia Stock Yards until he died in 1915. The stockyard business proved to be very lucrative. When Thomas Shriver died in 1915, Bill's grandmother, Ella Shriver, one of five children, inherited more than one million dollars (equivalent to thirty million in 2022 dollars).
Bill was born and raised in Pennsylvania, graduated from the Valley Forge Military Academy, attended Colgate University in New York, and graduated from Haverford College with a degree in English/Communications. He had an early health scare with melanoma when he was 18 but it was in remission after two years. Bill's natural abilities and education led to an extensive career in the entertainment field under the name of Bill Edwards.
Bill had major responsibilities on local and network radio and television stations in San Francisco (1950s), Hawaii (1970s), Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia. At one point Bill was believed to be the highest paid radio broadcaster in the country. He also taught radio and public speaking at the University of Hawaii, Colgate University in New York State, and Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.
Bill was also an actor. He acted in several episodes of Bonanza and was that shows first announcer. Other television shows in which he acted, include; Dragnet, Sea Hunt, Blood and Orchids, Mr. Ed, Magnum P.I., and others. He is probably best known for his recurring role of Steve McGarrett's State Department contact Jonathan Kaye in the television series Hawaii Five-O where he played the role of Kaye for 11 episodes starting in season 5 with "Fools Die Twice" (October 1972) and lasting through season 10's "East Wind--Ill Wind" (December 1977). He also acted in the film Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and the television movies Pearl (1978) and Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985).
Bill was also a well-known scuba diver and instructor in the Southern California area. At one time he owned a dive shop in Reseda California near where he lived in Northridge; a suburb of Los Angeles. He was a president of the scuba diving organization NAUI and was involved in a number of search and recovery operations.
Bill was also active in a wide range of civic, cultural and health related organizatons.
He was married four times and had one daughter with his second wife Floramay Byers:
Wife #1 - Florence Lorraine Hillerman (1922-1975) - They were married in an elaborate and fashionable wedding in Saint Mary's Episcopal Church in Haddon Heights, New Jersey on May 19, 1945 (see attached article). They divorced after five years on September 28, 1951.
Wife #2 - Floramay "Babs" Byers (1920-1969) - They married on April 25, 1953 in the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church and divorced after about 12 years in 1964 or 1965. Floramay had two daughters from a prior marriage and had one more daughter with Bill.
Wife #3 - Cheryl Conte (1944) - Cheryl was the personal secretary to Zsa Zsa Gabor, a famous American movie and television personality. Edgar met Cheryl as a result of an appearance on a television program called "The Dating Game." He won a date with Zsa Zsa Gabor and the prize was a trip to England. When the trip concluded he got together with Cheryl and they ended up getting married on September 20, 1970 in a Rodeway Inn in Honolulu. Their marriage was underwater in the hotel pool. They divorced after 5 years in 1975.
Wife #4 - Beryl Margaret Hunter (1932-1995) - They married on December 25, 1979 in Honolulu and remained married for 16 years until Beryl died in 1995.
Bill was living with his sister Joan Willar Sheets in Princeton Junction, New Jersey at the time of his death from cancer. His permanent residence at that time was Belmont House (a name he gave his home) in Joshua Tree, California. He was cremated and his ashes spread at Lost Horse Cave, at Joshua Tree. He had been a park ranger at Joshua Tree National Monument (now a National Park) for many years. He also shares a headstone with his siblings in the Harlan family cemetery plot in Philadelphia.
Known addresses:
140 Montgomery Avenue, Lower Merion PA - 1930, 1940
Salt Lake City UT - 1946
124 Poinsetta Ave, San Mateo CA (San Francisco) - 1947, 1949, 1952
2828 Edison, San Mateo CA - 1954
1790 Hamlet Street, San Mateo CA - 1955
8618 Calvin Ave, Northridge CA (Los Angeles) - 1958, 1962
401 S Barrington Ave, Los Angeles - 1966
Honolulu HI - 1967
62381 Belmont Street, Joshua Tree, CA
Bill was born and raised in Pennsylvania, graduated from the Valley Forge Military Academy, attended Colgate University in New York, and graduated from Haverford College with a degree in English/Communications. He had an early health scare with melanoma when he was 18 but it was in remission after two years. Bill's natural abilities and education led to an extensive career in the entertainment field under the name of Bill Edwards.
Bill had major responsibilities on local and network radio and television stations in San Francisco (1950s), Hawaii (1970s), Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia. At one point Bill was believed to be the highest paid radio broadcaster in the country. He also taught radio and public speaking at the University of Hawaii, Colgate University in New York State, and Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.
Bill was also an actor. He acted in several episodes of Bonanza and was that shows first announcer. Other television shows in which he acted, include; Dragnet, Sea Hunt, Blood and Orchids, Mr. Ed, Magnum P.I., and others. He is probably best known for his recurring role of Steve McGarrett's State Department contact Jonathan Kaye in the television series Hawaii Five-O where he played the role of Kaye for 11 episodes starting in season 5 with "Fools Die Twice" (October 1972) and lasting through season 10's "East Wind--Ill Wind" (December 1977). He also acted in the film Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and the television movies Pearl (1978) and Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985).
Bill was also a well-known scuba diver and instructor in the Southern California area. At one time he owned a dive shop in Reseda California near where he lived in Northridge; a suburb of Los Angeles. He was a president of the scuba diving organization NAUI and was involved in a number of search and recovery operations.
Bill was also active in a wide range of civic, cultural and health related organizatons.
He was married four times and had one daughter with his second wife Floramay Byers:
Wife #1 - Florence Lorraine Hillerman (1922-1975) - They were married in an elaborate and fashionable wedding in Saint Mary's Episcopal Church in Haddon Heights, New Jersey on May 19, 1945 (see attached article). They divorced after five years on September 28, 1951.
Wife #2 - Floramay "Babs" Byers (1920-1969) - They married on April 25, 1953 in the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church and divorced after about 12 years in 1964 or 1965. Floramay had two daughters from a prior marriage and had one more daughter with Bill.
Wife #3 - Cheryl Conte (1944) - Cheryl was the personal secretary to Zsa Zsa Gabor, a famous American movie and television personality. Edgar met Cheryl as a result of an appearance on a television program called "The Dating Game." He won a date with Zsa Zsa Gabor and the prize was a trip to England. When the trip concluded he got together with Cheryl and they ended up getting married on September 20, 1970 in a Rodeway Inn in Honolulu. Their marriage was underwater in the hotel pool. They divorced after 5 years in 1975.
Wife #4 - Beryl Margaret Hunter (1932-1995) - They married on December 25, 1979 in Honolulu and remained married for 16 years until Beryl died in 1995.
Bill was living with his sister Joan Willar Sheets in Princeton Junction, New Jersey at the time of his death from cancer. His permanent residence at that time was Belmont House (a name he gave his home) in Joshua Tree, California. He was cremated and his ashes spread at Lost Horse Cave, at Joshua Tree. He had been a park ranger at Joshua Tree National Monument (now a National Park) for many years. He also shares a headstone with his siblings in the Harlan family cemetery plot in Philadelphia.
Known addresses:
140 Montgomery Avenue, Lower Merion PA - 1930, 1940
Salt Lake City UT - 1946
124 Poinsetta Ave, San Mateo CA (San Francisco) - 1947, 1949, 1952
2828 Edison, San Mateo CA - 1954
1790 Hamlet Street, San Mateo CA - 1955
8618 Calvin Ave, Northridge CA (Los Angeles) - 1958, 1962
401 S Barrington Ave, Los Angeles - 1966
Honolulu HI - 1967
62381 Belmont Street, Joshua Tree, CA
Gravesite Details
Bill was cremated and his ashes spread in Joshua Tree California. There is a headstone in the family plot in West Laurel Hill to remember the three siblings but none of them are actually buried there.
