William Frank Finder

Our family wishes to acknowledge the life and recent passing of William Frank Finder in Ridgecrest, CA on August 11, 2025.  Bill was born January 22, 1943 in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, the only child of William Albert and Grace Mary (Cesar) Finder.  His earliest memories were of wartime, when Santa Fe Railroad transferred his dad to Winslow, AZ and he and his mom followed shortly after by troop train.  He remembered playing with the Marines on the train, the black-out curtains at their new home, air-raid sirens and his tricycle with wooden wheels.

After another transfer to Barstow, CA, he joined Cub Scouts, took a correspondence course in math from U.C. Berkeley in 8th grade, and at 16 years old was recognized by the U.S. Air Force for three years and many hours of service with the Ground Observer Corps.  He graduated from Barstow Union High School in 1960, having been president of the Biology Club and a medal winner at their annual science fair.  That fall Bill began employment as a film reader at the Naval Ordnance Test Station, (later Naval Weapons Center) China Lake, CA.   Just months later on his 21st birthday, he won a trophy at the Inyokern, CA drag strip for racing.

He drove to Barstow, CA on Christmas Eve, 1963, to be with family.  It was there, that evening, when he met Dianne Louise Downs, the girl who lived across the street.  They married one and a half years later on September 5th, 1965 at the First Christian Church in Barstow.   The month before they were married, he joined the Naval Reserve and was assigned drill weekends at the Naval Air Station, Los Alamitos, CA.

Bill and Dianne attended Barstow Community College, where he was elected Associate Student Body President (1965-1966).  At graduation, he received a lifetime membership in the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Scholarship Society and the Bronze Viking award for outstanding achievement.  He enrolled at the University of California, Riverside the fall of 1966, where he was elected to membership in the UC Riverside National Honorary Mathematics Society.  Graduating in June 1968 with a degree in mathematics, he received orders to active duty at the U.S. Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland.  He was assigned as instructor of mathematics at the Radioman "B" School, teaching personnel that were all senior to him.  Bill and Dianne's 60 year marriage blessed them with the birth of Kimberly Ann on August 4th, 1969 at the Naval Training Center Hospital.  Kim has continued to give us a lifetime of joy filled memories.

Bill was released from active duty in June, 1970 with an honorable discharge and a National Defense Service Medal.  The family returned to California, where he was again employed at the Naval Weapons Center, this time as a mathematician and later as a project engineer.  Wanting to explore some of his creative interests, he started, owned and operated Foto Memories, a home-based photo studio and lab, specializing in wedding and portrait photography.  Throughout his life, his interests became his hobbies—painting landscapes in oils, playing chess, collecting coins (He was president of the IWV Coin Club 1977-1978 and won a "Best of Show" at their Ridgecrest Coin Show), gourmet cooking, compiling a "Gourmet Everyday" cookbook, writing fun and whimsical poetry of humorous moments of our lives, crossword puzzles, playing guitar, fishing—winning Field and Stream's Annual Fishing Award and several "Fishing in Maryland" certificates, designing and building projects of brick, wood and cement for our "new" home and playing with all the pets over the years.

Bill leaves his wife, Dianne, of Ridgecrest, daughter Kimberly Ann (John), grandsons John William and Andrew James, all of Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, sister-in-law Marianne (Michael), nephews Michael, Bruce, Jim and niece Sarah.

Burial is scheduled at the Bakersfield National Cemetery on 28 August, 2025. In Lieu of Flowers his wishes are for family and friends to donate to the Direct Relief Fund, an option to donate can be found by the top of this Obituary. Our family is grateful and extends thanks to the Oasis Hospice for their care and understanding, to each of their nurses who provided excellent care beyond measure during Bill's illness, to Kayla and Caleb of Holland and Lyons Mortuary for the respect and care they showed Bill, and to Justin, Funeral Director, for his professional and caring guidance.

Rest in peace, my dear.