Died peacefully at the Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City, CA on August 23, 2019 at the age of 88.
Bill is survived by his wife, Eleanor Wendlberger; children, Michael (Helen) Brown, Robert (Tina) Brown, Anthony (Lupita) Wendlberger, Michael Wendlberger, June Brown, and Marc Brown; step-children, Julie Wendlberger, Joe (Kelly) Wendlberger, Kay Hartman, Sharon Jolly, and Karen Eseny; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even two great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jean Magee; his previous wives, Martha “Peggy” Brown and June Magruder; his son, Matthew Brown; and his step-son, Christopher Wendlberger.
Bill was born on November 19, 1930 in Washington, D.C., to William N. Brown and Alice V. McClellan. All of his children remember him as a loving father who encouraged them to pursue their goals.
Bill served in the Navy. He then worked for DOFL as a design engineer. He later worked at NASA as a systems analyst. His computer system designs played a significant role in the success of the Voyager spacecrafts and space shuttles. In 1991, he moved with Eleanor from northern Virginia to the SF Bay Area as a stay-at-home father.
Bill was an accomplished athlete. He played basketball for Gonzaga HS. In his 20s, he actively played tennis and softball. In his 30s, he played football as a starting center in a Government League until he broke his collarbone twice.
He was a generous individual who loved history and who was passionate about education. He was a dedicated member of PBS and often volunteered at his children’s schools. As a final gift, he willed his body to furthering education at UCSF.
A memorial service was held on August 31st in San Mateo, CA, where he had lived since 1992. Monsignor John Talesfore officiated the ceremony at St. Matthews Church. Contributions to PBS or your favorite charity in his name are encouraged. Condolences can be sent to P.O. Box 5601, San Mateo, CA 94402.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.