William Carl Ochs (Bill) passed away Jan 23, 2023, at the age of 89 in Lompoc California, where he resided since 1960.  Bill was born in 1933 in St Louis Missouri to Anna and John Ochs. Having a passion for electronics led him to become a radio and television engineer.  He was a military veteran and served in the Korean War. After his service, in the late 1950s he became general supervisor of the Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) at Point Barrow, Alaska.  Then in 1961 as an employee of FSC/ITT, he managed civilian engineering personnel on the missile tracking ships USNS Watertown, USNS Range Tracker, and USNS Mercury.  While on these ships he supported the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Aerospace missions.  He left the ship assignments to marry Lillian Murphy who he met in Hawaii and transferred to Vandenberg Base where he became a Quality Assurance Manager.  Bill and Lil started their lives together and began a family in Lompoc.

He will be remembered for his calm, patient nature, quiet sense of humor, loyalty, and generosity.  He never complained and always appreciated even the smallest things.  He was well known and well loved and was an integral part of the community.  He belonged to the Cotillion Dance Club, Lompoc Concert Association, Elks Lodge for over 40 years, and volunteered at PCPA Theaterfest for over 20 years.  When his sons started playing soccer, he became an AYSO coach.

We celebrate his character, ethics and generous spirit.  He enjoyed entertaining guests and was a talented photographer, film and videographer, which he used to capture these joyful moments.  His love of electronics and gadgets kept him up to speed with new technology.  He liked ice cream, snickers, and popcorn.  His love of travel meant he and Lillian saw the world when he retired, and he truly enjoyed this time they had together on their adventures.  We feel fortunate he was a part of our lives. Bill will be forever missed.

He is survived by and missed by his loving wife of 53 years, Lillian, sons William (Debbie), Robert (Cindy), and grandson Elijah.