William Lee Congleton

William Lee Congleton was born on August 3rd, 1935, in Dayton, Ohio. His father was an innovator, working with machines and motors; his mother was a high school teacher of English and Latin. He and his sister, Ann, grew up in Dayton and Cincinnati. Even as a child, Bill was known for his enthusiasm, curiosity, and cheerful friendliness.
Bill did well in school. He attended Walnut Hills High School, in Cincinnati, graduated in 1953 from Oakwood High School, in Oakwood, Ohio, and from Harvard College in 1957. He continued his education in Boston, eventually earning an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master of Science and Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University, in 1962. The technical education he received prepared him for a successful career in the growing field of computer engineering. Of possibly greater importance to Bill, though, were Harvard's General Education courses, which nurtured in him a lifelong interest in literature, history, society, and the arts.
In 1963, Bill participated in a summer job program in Sweden, and there he met the love of his life, Kerstin Eriksson. Soon there were two children, Ingrid Ann and William Jarl. The young family moved to Los Angeles in 1972.
In L.A., Bill helped operate the room-sized computers of the day. He ran the Management Information Services Department, first for Ducommon Metals, and then for Nissan Motors. Of course, the computer industry was rapidly changing. In 1986 he joined a start-up company making computer printers; unfortunately, that venture did not survive. In 1991, Bill joined the faculty of DeVry University, teaching computer science. He retired in 2013.
Bill loved the game of baseball, from his early days in Cincinnati's Little League. He continued to play ball right through his college years. In 1958, he was the ace pitcher for Dover, winning 10 games in the Morris County Minor League.
Another thing Bill enjoyed throughout his life was singing. He was a lifelong member of the prestigious Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. He was a reliable member of the choir at Saint James Presbyterian Church, in Tarzana. He sang tenor in the San Fernando Valley Male Chorus; he had been looking forward to performing in the 2023 Christmas Concert.
Tragically, Bill was predeceased by his daughter, Ingrid, who died in 1988 at the age of 24. He is survived by his wife and son, three grandchildren, his sister, and two nieces.
William Lee Congleton passed away, in West Hills, on December 12, 2023.