William Robert Morgan
June 13, 1952-Oct. 6, 2020
Hillsborough, California
Bill was born at Mills Memorial Hospital at San Mateo, California on June 13, 1952 to Bob and Lois Morgan of Palo Alto, California. He was raised in Palo Alto, attended local schools, excelled in wrestling, swimming, water polo and was a member of the fun-loving Fuzz Burgers Basketball Team. After graduation from Palo Alto High School he went to college at University of California, Davis where he achieved a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. After Davis, Bill married his college sweetheart, Caren Hovden. Bill stepped into the family business at Crown Industrial in South San Francisco. Here, he learned electrical engineering and worked to expand the business including system design and engineering, wholesale hardware, industrial door and gate manufacture and installation with electric operators. Bill’s creativity meant there was never a problem too hard for him to solve. He did not give up on a challenge. Bill cherished working with family and friends at the business. His parents, sister, son, and two cousins were part of the team.
Bill’s love for life was an inspiration to all those around him. He tackled every day with a smile on his face. He was best known for his total undeniable love for fun, adventure, work and his devotion to family. Sailboat racing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, snow skiing, waterskiing, playing tennis and dancing filled his weekends and vacations with pleasure. Bill, Billy, Wild Billski, BABS, Poppa, Pop Pop, Mr. Social, or Life of the Party Bill, as some would call him, would go to the ends of the Earth for his family and friends with generosity and a sense of humor that will be greatly missed by all but never forgotten. Friendship to Bill was everlasting and across all ages.
Bill passed away peacefully surrounded by his family the morning of October 6, 2020 at the age of 68. He showed immeasurable strength and bravery fighting A.L.S. (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) which took his life 20 months after his diagnosis. Bill is survived by his wife of 45 years, Dr. Caren Hovden Morgan, his son, Brian Morgan and wife, Christina Morgan, his daughter, Dr. Kristen Morgan Sheaff and husband, Justin Sheaff, his parents, Bob and Lois Morgan, his three grandchildren, Charles Morgan, Julia Morgan, and Kaylee Sheaff, his sister, Beverly Morgan Kiehl and husband, Dick Kiehl, his brother-in-law, Dr. Kenneth Hovden and wife, Laura Hovden, his niece and nephew, Taira and Chase Hovden and his father-in-law, Dr. Charles Hovden. He is predeceased by his mother-in-law, Dr. Marion Motzer Hovden, grandparents, Albert H. Morgan and Florence Trowbridge Morgan, Russel Payne and Florence Jenkins Payne. Bill was a 5th generation California native dating from 1849.
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/obituaries/memorials/william-robert-morgan?o=6524