Willliam Fred Ulleseit

Resident of San Jose

April 26, 1930 - October 5, 2025

Bill Ulleseit passed away October 5 after a short battle with cancer. His gregarious and generous nature will be remembered fondly by all who knew him.

Bill was born in Englewood, New Jersey but moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was two. In 1939, he and his parents went to Germany to visit his paternal grandmother, who was terminally ill.

He spent the war years stranded in Germany, separated from his parents. He was reunited with his mother in 1946 and later with his father. In 1947 he and his parents relocated to San Jose, where Bill lived until his death. He married his beloved late wife Loreita (Medeiros) in 1953. Bill worked as a machinist and later as a power plant engineer. He retired as Chief Engineer from Valley Medical Center in San Jose. He was very passionate about all things steam powered, especially steam locomotives.

He was an avid builder of live steam models of all kinds. In the 1960s he ran a Lionel and American Flyer repair shop out of his basement, as well as Precision Manufacturing Company, a custom design and machine shop. In 1969, he led the rebuilding of steam locomotive #2 of the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad in Los Gatos, where he volunteered as Chief Engineer for almost forty years.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Frances (Rosenthal) Ulleseit and his wife Loreita. He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, William Fred Ulleseit, Jr. and Linda (Walters) Ulleseit of San Jose, and Glenn Edward Ulleseit and Wendi (Jones) Ulleseit of Diamond Springs, California. He is also survived by five grandchildren and their partners, William Edward Ulleseit of Los Angeles and Kay York of Las Vegas, Nicholas William Ulleseit and Christina (Pierce) Ulleseit of San Jose, Timothy Scott Ulleseit and Caitlin (Pryce) Ulleseit of Los Gatos, David Timothy Ulleseit and Auzenda (Missy Silva) of Los Gatos, and Karli LeeAnn Gobble (Tim Gobble) of Diamond Springs, as well as his four great-grandchildren, Caden, Franklin, Amelia, and Aurora.

The family would like to thank Oakmont of Silver Creek for their compassionate care of Bill for the last three years.

Family is invited to a private viewing on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Darling Fischer Mortuary in Los Gatos. Friends are invited to a public viewing that same night from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. also at Darling Fischer. Burial to follow at Los Gatos Memorial Park. Reception immediately following at Bill's son's home, 2989 Delta Road in San Jose.