Willard "Bill" G. Kruse ’55, a 40-year resident of Sebastopol, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2011 at his home. A nuclear engineer, Bill conducted postgraduate studies at Stanford University and held a Master’s Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in mechanical engineering from Santa Clara University. He worked on the space program at Lockheed Corporation after having served as a Specialist, Five in the U.S. Army. Bill had a life-long interest in providing engineering solutions to his church, his friends and his neighbors. Bill grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and graduated from Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo. Bill was predeceased by his father Willard Dutton, his mother Mae Kruse and his adoptive stepfather Herman C. Kruse. He is survived by cousins Eric Allen, Helen Dutton Allen, Ron Allen, Margaret Suich Anderson, Dorothy Dutton, James Dutton, Leonard Dutton, Stephanie Secrest James, Toni Ann Secrest and Andrew W. Suich.