Ernest William Cordan Jr.

Bill Cordan passed away on April 6, 2019 after a yearlong battle with Esophageal Cancer. He was born on April 27, 1948 in Manhattan, NY to Ernest W. Cordan and Beverly Jane (West) Cordan. He grew up in Somerville, NJ and spent his teenage years in Bad Rothenfelde, Germany. In 1967 he enlisted in the Air Force. After basic training in San Antonio, TX, he was stationed at Wiesbaden, Germany. He returned to the U.S. with friends from the Air Force to attend the University of Memphis where he met his wife of 46 years. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, he accepted a position with Martin Marietta which took the newlyweds to Orlando, FL. While working at Martin Marietta he earned a Master of Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida. At Martin Marietta, he learned to communicate through American Sign Language while working with a group of engineers and programmers who were deaf. He also enjoyed the natural features of central Florida and learned to water ski on the many lakes in the area.

In 1979, his career continued at Texas Instruments in Houston. After three years in Houston, Bill and his family moved to Colorado where he worked for NCR, Corp in Colorado Springs in 1982. While in Colorado, the family enjoyed hiking, fishing and skiing in Colorado’s mountains. Colorado was Bill’s home for 23 of the next 25 years, which was broken up by a two-year overseas assignment in Dundee, Scotland. In Scotland he enjoyed touring the historical castles in the UK, the Scottish whisky distilleries, and visiting nearby European countries.

He returned to Colorado to work for Symbios Logic in Fort Collins, CO and later took over the Colorado branch of a startup engineering design company in nearby Loveland, CO. In 2005, he moved to Moorpark, CA to work in the electronic sensors division at Kavlico (CST).

He and his wife retired to Leisure World, Mesa AZ in 2013. While at Leisure World he was a member of the Republican Club and the Gun Club. He enjoyed pistol practice at the Rio Salado practice range and going to local sporting events including, ASU Sun Devil Football games, Baseball spring training games, and Arizona Diamondbacks games.

He was proceeded in death by his parents and two brothers, Dennis R. and John C. Cordan. He is survived by his wife, Bonita K. (Howell) son, Richard (Elena) Cordan, son William Cordan and two granddaughters.

Interment is at the National Memorial Cemetery, Cave Creek, Arizona.