Editing William Anders (section)

==Retirement and death==
Following retirement, Anders and his wife purchased a house in [[Anacortes, Washington]], overlooking [[Puget Sound]] and [[Burrows Island Light|Burrows Island]]. After realizing he disliked the winters in northwest Washington, he purchased a second home in [[Point Loma, California]].<ref name="airportjournals" />

Anders later established the William A. Anders Foundation, a philanthropic organization for the benefit of educational and environmental issues. He also founded the [[Heritage Flight Museum]] in 1996 in [[Bellingham, Washington]], which moved to [[Skagit Regional Airport]] in [[Burlington, Washington]], in 2014. This is run by his family, with Anders as president until 2008, his wife Valerie as secretary, son Greg as vice president, executive director and webmaster, and son Alan as vice president and director of maintenance.<ref name="airportjournals" /><ref name="museumofflight">{{cite web | author = Museum Staff | year = 2016 | location = Seattle | url = http://www.museumofflight.org/News/2267/quotthe-first-earthrisequot-apollo-8-astronaut-bill-anders-recalls-the-first | title = 'The First Earthrise' Apollo 8 Astronaut Bill Anders recalls the first mission to the Moon | access-date = 9 June 2024 | website = The Museum of Flight | archive-date = 18 October 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161018230458/http://www.museumofflight.org/News/2267/quotthe-first-earthrisequot-apollo-8-astronaut-bill-anders-recalls-the-first | url-status = dead}}</ref>

Anders died on 7 June 2024, at the age of 90, while flying the vintage [[Beechcraft T-34 Mentor|T-34]] registered to him.<ref name = "USA Today OBIT">
{{Cite news
| last1          = Robledo
| first1         = Anthony
| title          = Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who took famous 'Earthrise' photo, dies in plane crash
| date           = 7 June 2024
| url            = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/06/07/plane-crash-astronaut-william-anders-dies/74021418007/
| access-date    = 9 June 2024
| archive-url    = https://web.archive.org/web/20240609061603/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/06/07/plane-crash-astronaut-william-anders-dies/74021418007/
| archive-date   = 9 June 2024
| url-status     = live
}}</ref> The aircraft crashed into the waters of north Puget Sound between [[Jones Island State Park|Jones Island]] and [[Orcas Island]]<ref name ="Crash Location">
{{Cite news
| author       = KCPQ Staff
| title        = Video shows fiery small plane crash into WA waters near Orcas Island
| work         = [[KCPQ | FOX 13]]
| location     = [[Tacoma]]
| date         = 7 June 2024
| url          = https://www.ktvu.com/news/san-juan-islands-plane-crash
| access-date  = 8 June 2024
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240608101750/https://www.ktvu.com/news/san-juan-islands-plane-crash
| archive-date = 8 June 2024
| url-status   = live 
}}</ref><ref name = "NPR Obit">{{cite news | last1 = Lewis | first1 = Russell |title= NASA astronaut Bill Anders, who took famous photo of Earth during Apollo, dies at 90 |date= 7 June 2024 |work = [[NPR]] |url= https://www.npr.org/2024/06/07/401128365/nasa-astronaut-bill-anders-apollo-8-dead |access-date= 8 June 2024 |archive-date= 8 June 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240608032126/https://www.npr.org/2024/06/07/401128365/nasa-astronaut-bill-anders-apollo-8-dead |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name = "NYT Obit">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/science/william-a-anders-dead.html | title=William A. Anders, Who Flew on First Manned Orbit of the Moon, Dies at 90 | work=The New York Times | last1=Goldstein | first1=Richard | date=8 June 2024 | access-date=8 June 2024 | archive-date=8 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608025258/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/science/william-a-anders-dead.html | url-status=live }}</ref> and was seen by witnesses as going down into a small channel between the two islands, then sinking after catching fire.<ref name= "USAT Obit">{{Cite news |last1=Robledo |first1=Anthony |title=Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, who took famous 'Earthrise' photo, dies in plane crash | date = 7 June 2024| work = USA TODAY | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/06/07/plane-crash-astronaut-william-anders-dies/74021418007/ |access-date=8 June 2024 |archive-date= 8 June 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240608030651/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/06/07/plane-crash-astronaut-william-anders-dies/74021418007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After witnesses reported seeing the plane take a nosedive and crash in the water, a search was launched by the U.S. Coast Guard and the San Juan County Sheriff's Department.<ref name = "People Obit">
{{cite magazine
| last         = Flam
| first        = Charna
| date         = 7 June 2024
| title        = Former Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders Dead at 90 After Plane Crash in Washington
| url          = https://people.com/former-apollo-8-astronaut-william-anders-dead-after-plane-crash-in-washington-8660449
| url-status   = live
| magazine     = [[People (magazine)|People]]
| location     = New York
| publisher    = [[Dotdash Meredith]]
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20240609110105/https://people.com/former-apollo-8-astronaut-william-anders-dead-after-plane-crash-in-washington-8660449
| archive-date = 9 June 2024
| access-date  = 9 June 2024
| issn         = 0093-7673
}}</ref> Later that day, Anders' son, Greg, confirmed the death of his father and that his body had been recovered.<ref name = "Fox13 Obit">{{Cite news | author = KCPQ Staff |date=7 June 2024 |title=San Juan Islands plane crash pilot identified: Who is William Anders? |work = FOX 13 | location = Tacoma |url=https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/william-anders-wa-plane-crash |access-date=7 June 2024 |archive-date=7 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607231051/https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/william-anders-wa-plane-crash |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name = "AP Obit">{{Cite news | last1 = Johnson | first1 = Gene|
 last2 = McAvoy | first2 = Audrey | date = 7 June 2024 | title = Former astronaut William Anders who took iconic Earthrise photo has died in Washington plane crash | url = https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-san-juan-islands-washington-6d3800130ef4e67d761f96b328f7c263 | access-date=8 June 2024 | work = [[The Associated Press]] | location = Seattle |archive-date=8 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608002259/https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-san-juan-islands-washington-6d3800130ef4e67d761f96b328f7c263 |url-status=live }}</ref> Beginning with his Air Force career, Anders had logged over 8,000 flight hours.<ref name="heritageflight">{{cite web |url=https://heritageflight.org/about/maj-gen-bill-anders/ |title=Maj. Gen. William A. Anders |publisher=Heritage Flight Museum |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811024906/https://heritageflight.org/about/maj-gen-bill-anders/ |url-status=live }}</ref>