Stephen Gratzer McWilliams

Stephen Gratzer McWilliams, 70, Greenwood, passed away Tuesday, July 16, 2013.
Born April 19, 1943, in Bedford, he was the son of Paul and Helen (Gratzer) McWilliams. He married Judith K. Spurgeon on Sept. 9, 1964, in Brownstown.
Stephen graduated from Brownstown High School in 1961 and was employed at AMOCO Chemicals Corp. in Seymour. He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor's degree (1967) and master's degree (1968) in electrical engineering, where he received honors as a distinguished student. He taught physics at Montmorenci High School in Tippecanoe County (1967-1968). Following graduation, Stephen had a successful career in electrical engineering with Arvin Industries (1968-1973), RCA (1973-1978), and AT&T Bell Labs (1978-1999). During his career, he was a distinguished member of the technical staff of Bell Labs and held several patents. Stephen never met a stranger and was a practical jokester at heart - bringing joy and laughter to everyone he met. He was a member of ARC of Johnson County, enjoyed photography and building radio-controlled airplanes and was an amateur radio operator.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Judith; daughter, Stephanie, San Diego; sons, Douglas, Indianapolis, and Derek (Hannah), Greenwood; and sister, Sarah (Don) Grider, Brownstown.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
A celebration of life will be from 2 to 4 p.m. July 27 at W R Ewing, 1105 W. Spring St., Brownstown. We encourage you to bring your favorite "Steve stories" for group sharing, beginning promptly at 2 p.m. (or email to steve.mc.stories@gmail.com).
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Brain Tumor Association, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 550, Chicago, IL 60631.