William Fillmore “Fill” Cuddihy

Yorktown, Va. – William Fillmore “Fill” Cuddihy was born December 15, 1927 and led a long and happy life. He grew up in a close-knit family, the seventh of eight children of John and Lillian Cuddihy in Hopewell, Virginia.
He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Susan Salim Cuddihy and children Kim, Glenn (Carol), and Jill Carty (Kelly), seven grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. He graduated from Hopewell High and joined the Army when he was seventeen. Three months later, World War II ended. He was lucky to have the GI bill and a fellowship to help him through his studies. He attended the University of Virginia for a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering.
He was employed by the Linde Research Labs doing basic research on semiconductors and high powered arcs. He was fortunate to work with and learn from very capable scientists who became lifelong friends. It was at Linde that he met and married Susan Salim, by far he always insists, the luckiest event in his life.
In 1957 the first satellite was launched and a new and exciting arena of exploration was born. Fill joined NACA as it transitioned to NASA. Again he was lucky to find challenging and exciting projects such as Viking, the first spacecraft to land on Mars. As a nonagenarian reflecting on his life, he marveled at how lucky he had always been.
Family and friends will gather on Saturday, December 13, 2025 from 1:00-3:00pm at Amory Funeral Home, 410 Grafton Drive, Yorktown, VA. 23692.