William Glen Bushnell

William Glen Bushnell
May 28, 1925 - January 11, 2013
Resident of Sunnyvale, CA
Born in Meadow, Utah on May 28, 1925, William Glen Bushnell passed away peacefully in his sleep the morning of January 11, 2013, having been blessed with 87 very full years. The sixth of seven children born to William Emmet and Lois Duncan Bushnell, he grew up in the All-American town of Meadow in a loving family that worked very hard and struggled to provide during the Great Depression. He was a proud Army veteran, serving in the Philippines in a war that took the lives of his oldest brother, Lamar and his best friend, Jay Bennett. He made full use of the G.I. Bill after the war and earned a Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University in 1951, and a Master's Degree in School Administration in 1955. After teaching in Milford, Utah, he took a job teaching in Bakersfield, CA where he met a Public Health Nurse named Velma Joy McBride, who he married in 1958. While on sabbatical working on his Doctorate at Stanford University, he accepted a position in the new Foothill College District in Los Altos, CA where he spent the next 40 years as an Accounting Instructor, Counselor and Administrator at both Foothill and DeAnza colleges. He was proud of starting the Saturday College at DeAnza and serving as Dean for 30 years. He was fond of saying "If you love what you do - you never work a day in your life." He loved what he did.
A great believer in the power of education, he took great pride in helping support his four children through over 30 years of higher education - all the while fostering the joy of learning in several generations of his college students, and in nephews and family friends who lived with his family while attending Foothill and DeAnza.
Glen made his home and raised his family in Sunnyvale, CA - where he was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving for years as Ward Clerk in Sunnyvale and Los Altos. He was surrounded there by friends he cared for and admired. He lived his Christian ideals, but was accepting of those with other beliefs and lifestyles. Most of all, he exemplified selfless service, the value of hard work and love of family - related and extended.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers: Lamar and Mel; sisters: Cleo Labrum, Elna Schmutz and LaVon Roberts; his wife and mother of his children, Velma Joy Bushnell; and daughter, Sheri Joy Bischoff. He is survived by his sister, Norma George; sons: Lamar (MarLynn) and Ron (Lisa); daughter, Vicki; nine grandchildren he adored; and his wife of 12 years, Beth Barstow Bushnell, who has been by his side with love and support as his famously great health finally failed.
Glen was fond of reminding us often that "Life is sweet for every living creature." So many of our lives have been made sweeter by William Glen Bushnell.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Meadow LDS Ward Chapel, 108 East Center Street, Meadow, Utah. A visitation will be held Saturday, prior to services, at 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel. Interment will follow at the Meadow Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, 435-673-4221. Please visit the website www.metcalfmortuary.com for condolences and obituary and service listings.
In lieu of flowers, please send remembrances of Glen at http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/homepage.aspx or make a donation in his memory to The Sheri Joy Bushnell Bischoff endowed Scholarship at www.give.byu.edu/bushnell.