William Bicknell Lounsbury, devoted husband, father
William Bicknell Lounsbury, 89, died at 1:03 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in his home in Lewes. William “Bill” was born April 25, 1935, to Viola Anna and Fred Clark Lounsbury in Plainfield, N.J., their fourth child and only son.
Bill’s wife of 61 years, Gudrun (Goody) Gerlinda Krauss, preceded him in death in 2021. He is survived by his son, David (Rafael) Lounsbury; his daughter, Christine (Nicholas) Seidel; his daughter, Cynthia (Daniel) Schoedel; his granddaughter, Gabrielle (Stephan) Douglas; his grandson, Alexander Ellerbee; his step-grandsons, William and Matthew Schoedel; and many nieces and nephews. His sisters, Dorothy Horton, Beverly Garrettson and Barbara Tillison preceded him in death.
In 1937, when Bill was just 2 years old, his father passed away. To support the family, Bill’s mother, Viola, commuted into New York City, working as a secretary on Madison Avenue. Bill and his sisters helped run the household, volunteered during summers at Uncle Jesse’s Christian Youth Camp Endeavor, and even worked as professional child models featured in McCall’s Magazine, circa 1940.
After graduating from Plainfield High School Class of 1953, Bill entered college at Rutgers University. After a year, he took a hiatus to join the Marine Corps, where he was stationed in Hawaii from 1954-57. After his service, he took a summer job working construction on a dam across the Saint Lawrence Seaway in upstate New York, a physically and mentally demanding job that he loved.
That fall, he returned to Rutgers University, where he met the love of his life. Bill married Goody Dec. 19, 1959. After Bill graduated with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering, he worked as an engineer at Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing in Pittsburgh, Pa. There, they started their family with the birth of their son, David, in 1963.
Bill took a position in Baltimore, Md., with Locke Insulators in 1964. Their second child, Christine, was born in 1964 and their third child, Cynthia, was born in 1967. During this time, Bill got his master of science in manufacturing engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Bill worked at Locke for many years and then briefly at Solarex in Gaithersburg, Md., when solar panels were just coming into use. He then returned to Locke Insulators, eventually becoming the president of the company until he retired in 1997.
Bill loved taking care of and spending time with his family. He worked hard to support them, helped with bath time and homework in the evenings, and did house projects on the weekends. He built a huge sandbox framed by railroad ties in the backyard, and it often hosted all the neighborhood kids. He was a wonderful role model, steward, and mentor to his children and grandchildren. Furthermore, he taught them life skills and helped all of them go to college. He also loved being active in nature. His sports were running and mountain biking. He would go on white-water canoe trips, and family vacations were trips to beaches and lakes.
As empty nesters, Bill and Goody found a waterfront lot in Lewes. They contributed to the design and construction of their beautiful dream house. There, they hosted many family gatherings. Bill enjoyed woodworking in a shop above the garage, crafting beautiful wood canoes, kayaks, intricate pencil boxes, marble mazes, and a crib for his grandchildren. In the yard, he made a goldfish pond and would feed the ducks, birds, and fish every morning. Goody and Bill spent many happy hours gardening, canoeing, kayaking, and sitting on the deck gazing at Love Creek together.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, at Memorial Funeral Home, Fanwood, N.J., followed by a procession to an interment service for Goody and Bill at Hillside Cemetery and a luncheon. There will be a livestream of the service for anyone unable to attend the service.
Visit Bill’s Life Memorial webpage at parsllfuneralhomes.com.
Friends and family can also access Bill's Memorial webpage by visiting the following link: fanwoodmemorial.com/obituaries/William-Bicknell-Lounsbury?obId=32977083#/obituaryInfo.
