Frank William Kinsman

William "Bill"

Fairport: Bill passed away at home on December 26, 2016, at the age of 91. He had just celebrated Christmas Eve surrounded by his children, grandchildren, and wife. Bill was a kind, soft-spoken, and very intelligent man with a dry sense of humor. He will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Bill is survived by his wife of 65 years, Betty, his children Robert (Bettina) Kinsman, Susan (Scott) Kelso, Andrew Kinsman, Thomas (Lynn) Kinsman, Ted (Margot Buschang) Kinsman, and his grandchildren Wendy, Joseph, Nicole, William, Michael, Jade, Kristy, Tim, Theresa, Devon, Duncan, Garrett, Meredith, and Parker.

Bill was very humble about his accomplishments, yet he held a M.S. from Stanford, and graduated summa cum laude with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. Bill started his career at Bell Labs, where he was instrumental in developing the push-button telephone and early underwater ocean telephone lines. He founded the department of Mechanical Technology at Monroe Community College, and spent over 30 years teaching and mentoring students as a professor. He enriched the lives of many students, who called him "Doc," and kept in touch with him long after graduation. One of Dr. Kinsman's accomplishments was winning the prestigious Machine Design LeMouse 5000 contest in 1972, for which he built a model car powered by a mousetrap spring.

Above all, Bill was proud of and dedicated to his family. He took them camping in the summer and skiing in the winter. Bill spent summers at Keuka Lake where he built a cottage out of an old barn. He liked to design and build things, canoe, plant snapdragons, hike, and travel.

There will be no calling hours or public service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Finger Lakes Museum and Aquarium, P.O. Box 96, Keuka Park, NY 14478 or fingerlakesmuseum.org.