William G. Mandras

William 'Bill' Mandras passed away on April 2, 2023 from natural causes, 21 days shy of his 90th birthday. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Marty Mandras, his parents Evangelos and Panayouti Mandras, and 7 siblings. He is survived by his sister Martha Valko, his elder daughter Amy Johnson and her daughter Sarah Cahatol (m. Ian Cahatol) and his younger daughter, Christine 'Kestrel' Weiner (m. Cary Weiner) and their two daughters, Aria and Nyima Weiner. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
The youngest of 9 children born to Greek immigrant parents in 1933, Bill earned a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked his entire life in the aerospace industry, even working on the design of the 747 airplane. Upon retiring, he pursued his true love of teaching Math at night at the local community college. He also wrote books and papers on new Math teaching methods.
He was a devoted and generous grandfather, 'Papou' to his three granddaughters. They were his pride and joy. In retirement, he enjoyed walking his dog Hera in the park and hills above Ventura and going to the gym daily (often followed by a trip to the store to buy ice cream.) He was an avid sports fan; watching Penn State Football, L. A. Lakers, and the L. A. Dodgers with his wife Marty.
He became a Buddhist around age 70 and enjoyed meditating daily, attending local Buddhist temples, and going on overnight meditation retreats. His ashes will be spread at a Buddhist meditation retreat center in the Rocky Mountains outside of Fort Collins.
He will be deeply missed for his quirky sense of humor and his silly songs. His jokes and sayings will live on in his family and continue to provide joy for many years to come.