One of Orange County's real estate honchos, William Lyon, has recently passed away peacefully in his home. Lyon was a former Air Force General, but he was a hero in more than just one way.

In a statement last Friday, William Lyon's son, Bill H. Lyon, said that his father's death was not due to COVID-19. According to Bill, William died peacefully of natural causes.

The Lyon Air Museum announced the sad news on Twitter last Friday: "It is with deep sadness we announce our founder, General William Lyon, passed away peacefully at his home earlier this afternoon."

It is with deep sadness we announce our founder, General William Lyon, passed away peacefully at his home earlier this afternoon, age 97. In the days to come, we will be posting more about his amazing, achievement-filled life. For now, we will simply say... THANK YOU, GENERAL. pic.twitter.com/Rt9hGzYCiA — Lyon Air Museum (@LyonAirMuseum1) May 22, 2020

William Lyon, Homebuilder

William Lyon, who was called by his friends as "The General," formerly served in the air force during World War II and the Korean War.

Lyon was one of the people who helped build the nation in the post-World War II economic boom. It all started in 1954 when he started a career in homebuilding with a project covering the construction of 66 houses in Anaheim.

However, around 20 years later, he took four years off from the business as he became chief of the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

During this time, Lyon was one of the wealthiest men in the nation. But it wasn't at all easy. In the 90s, his housing business nearly crashed but, unlike his competitors, he was able to bounce back in 1999. In 2001, William Lyon Homes grew a profit of $50million, and in 2005, $191million.

Lyon has been credited for building at least 100,000 houses across the country.

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Lyon has not stopped going to their offices until about two years ago. To express his love for what he does, he once likened having a business with religion:

"In business, as in religion, you have to believe in something. If you are a California builder, you must believe that people will continue to come to California, or you will not get to heaven."

Just last year, Builder Magazine named William Lyon Homes as one of the nation's biggest homebuilding company.

William Lyon and His Love of Aviation

Lyon also had an affinity for aviation. At the age of 16, he instantly fell in love with it after flying in an airplane, and seven years later, he was working to be a commercial pilot.

He owned a few aviation companies and flew his corporate jet but did not stop there. At 85 years old, he flew a vintage B-17 Flying Fortress to Washington, D.C., to attend a memorial ceremony.

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William Lyon Beyond Business and Military

As a hobby, cars were Lyon's collection. He owned about 100 vehicles, which had their own home measuring up to 15,000 square feet. Unlike most car enthusiasts, Lyon actually took his cars out for a drive.

Lyon had a kind heart. He donated millions to a number of organizations like the Orangewood Children's Foundation for abused and neglected children, and the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

His thirst for knowledge was reflected in his actions as well. He once hosted a fundraiser for the construction of Ronald Reagan's presidential library. In the fundraiser, one couple paid $100,000 for lunch.