William H. Wynn's Obituary
William “Bill” Wynn—engineer, entrepreneur, loving husband and father—passed away at his home in Hillsborough on the morning of April 17. He was 87.
Bill was a kid from Modesto who grew up to live the American dream: building a business, a marriage, a family, and a home in the suburbs. He attended Modesto High School, where he stood out early for his mechanical prowess and ability to fix and build things. In seventh grade, he built a working television for a science fair. Much of his education was self-taught and his ingenuity to build things extended to restoring a 1959 Porsche, flying a Cessna fixed-wing plane, and installing a 20-foot antenna on his roof so he could connect with people around the world on his ham radio.
Over a long career as an engineer, Bill built many things—including Wedgewood Technology, a company that developed sensors to monitor liquid processing, from wine to pharmaceuticals. He earned multiple patents and sold the business in 2001 after more than 25 years of operation.
He also built a family life with his elegant wife, Lori, who matched his energy for entertaining and partnered with him in the business. He was devoted to his two daughters and was informally adopted into the Bunje family of Hillsborough in his early twenties. Before marrying, he lived in a room they built over their garage—like something out of Happy Days. Many cherished memories were made through the years during holidays and family celebrations alongside the Bunje family.
He never missed an opportunity to make an inappropriate joke or strike up a conversation with a stranger. Whether talking with waitresses, flight attendants, or people at neighboring tables, Bill was always connecting and telling stories. At home, he could be more solitary, spending hours in the back of the house—his “man cave”—tinkering, listening to the radio, and later, exploring the internet.
In his more active years he explored the globe, traveling to Europe annually during his working years, and in retirement he took many trips including to China and Australia for the Olympics, safari in Africa, always with Lori by his side.
His softer passions included classical music, dancing with his graceful wife, and entertaining. His Thanksgiving turkeys and New Year’s Eve Beef Wellingtons will be long remembered.
Bill and Lori were married for 58 years.
He is survived by his wife, Lori; his daughters, Julie Wynn-Riley and Karyn Wynn-Nicolaescu; and his granddaughters, Anna and Cara Nicolaescu.
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