William "Bill" Mendenhall Jr.

Mar 29, 1923 -

Feb 19, 2020

Longtime Alaskan William W. "Bill" Mendenhall Jr. passed away on Feb. 19, 2020, surrounded by his family and loved ones. He was just a few weeks shy of his 97th birthday.

Bill was associated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Engineering Department for over six decades and taught thousand of students.

Bill held professional registrations as a Civil Engineer, Land Surveyor and Mechanical Engineer. He was a cornerstone of the community, and his contributions and recognitions are numerous. He was named Fairbanks Engineer of the Year in 1986 and was honored with the UAF Meritorious Service Award for 2014. In 2014, UAF dedicated the Mendenhall Classroom in Bill's honor, and members of the engineering faculty established an endowed scholarship in his name.

Bill was predeceased by his mother; father; and stepmother, Ione Mack Mendenhall; his sisters, Lib Milhan and Marjorie McCartney; as well as his beloved wife of 62 years, Nancy. He is survived by his three children: son, Bill; daughter, Susan West (Taylor); and son, Jim (Carol Howarth), all of Anchorage. He also is survived by six grandchildren: Ryan West, Tara West, Erin Cravez (Aaron), Trent Mendenhall, Sierra Mendenhall and Alexandra Mendenhall. Just two weeks before his death, Bill was thrilled to meet his first great-grandchild, Evie Mendenhall Cravez.

A full obituary was published in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on March 11, 2020, and is available online at www.legacy.com. A service was planned but has been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. The family will publish a notice once the memorial service is rescheduled.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation in Bill's name to one of the following: Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation, UAF Mendenhall Scholarship Fund or the UAF William & Nancy Mendenhall Student Travel Fund.