William Helmend "Bill" Netzlof

William "Bill" Helmend Netzlof passed away Tuesday, April 8, 2025 in Boise, Idaho from natural causes at the age of 86. Bill is survived by his wife, Shirley to whom he was married for 58 years. Bill is also survived by his brother Bob, his two children Erich and Kristin, and four grandchildren Kurt, Luke, Porter, and Hudson.
Bill was born August 30, 1938 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania to Helmend and M. Elizabeth Netzlof. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and made many lifelong friends.
Concurrently with his university education, Bill served in the United States Air Force, and later in the United States Naval Reserve as an officer.
Following military service, Bills career led him to Raleigh, North Carolina to work for Burlington Industries, then to Fairbanks, Alaska to work in early computer systems for the University there. Finally, he and his family moved to Boise, Idaho where he worked for Idaho Power before finishing his career with IBM.
Bill had wide interests and many hobbies:
He was a HAM radio operator and connected with friends far and near;
Music was a passion for him, and he played, sang, composed, and recorded on a variety of stringed instruments;
While in Idaho, he was a volunteer in Civil Air Patrol;
He carried on the Boy Scout tradition from his childhood by serving as a Scout leader for his son;
And he was an outdoorsman, who camped, canoed, and fished with friends and family throughout his life.
Bill was a Renaissance Man who was deeply loved and will be sorely missed.
A private interment service for Bill will be held at Cloverdale Memorial Park and a celebration of Bills life will follow later this summer.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your charity of choice. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of William, please visit our Tree Store.