William (Bill) Bodnar
July 26, 1955 - Jan. 12, 2020
Resident of Alamo
On Sunday, January 12, 2020, William Michael Bodnar, a loving husband and father passed away suddenly at the age of 64. Bill was born on July 26, 1955 in South Bend, IN to William A. and M. Jane (McNeil) Bodnar. He graduated from Purdue University in 1977 with a chemical engineering degree. On Sept. 1, 1984 he married Linda Ellen Gould. They raised a son Eric and a daughter Lora. Bill was the family's "sunshine." He was always available to reach the stuff on the top self, make grilled cheese, enjoy silly comedies or train the cat, Dustine.
He worked in the petroleum refining industry for 36 years in California, Michigan, and Texas. Bill enjoyed analyzing complex problems as a refinery manager and he was proud of the safety records at his facilities. He was valued as a manager and a co-worker. He retired in 2013.
Bill was on the Board of Directors for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County and strongly believed in their mission. He also supported the Berkeley Freight & Salvage, the Carter Center, and Rotary International.
Bill had a passion for rock guitar music. He couldn't carry a tune, never played an instrument other than air guitar and had no rhythm, but he could hear every detail in recordings or live performances. He was an avid collector of cassettes, CD's, and his beloved vinyl records along with other rock memorabilia.
Bill loved the outdoors and his retirement gave him more time to enjoy walking the hills and parks, taking care of his yard, and his favorite pastime- sitting on his deck, sipping bourbon talking to friends. Bill never met a stranger.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents Bill and Jane. He is survived by his wife Linda, children Eric and Lora, son-in-law Curtis, cousins John and Tom, sisters in-law Susan, Cindy, Eva, Linda, Dawn, and Julie, brothers in-law Mike, Rich, Rob, Tom, and John, nieces and nephews. A visitation and memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020 at Wilson & Kratzer Chapel of San Ramon Valley, 825 Hartz Way, Danville, CA. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Service at 6:30 PM.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County.

11/02/2022 JFC