William Cooper Menth

Bill is survived by his wife of 38 years, Kathy Menth; his daughter, Allison Porta-Sheridan, and her husband Dave Porta; his step-son, Sean Swindell, and his wife Amy Swindell; and five grandchildren, Ryan Swindell, Tyler Swindell, Rhys Allison, Aren Porta, and Jaimie Porta.

Born in Sacramento, California, Bill travelled extensively as the son in a military family, residing for periods in Germany, Libya, Turkey, and France, as well as in Texas, Florida, and Virginia. After attending most of high school at the American High School in Paris, he graduated from Yorktown High in Arlington, VA. He then graduated from George Mason College in 1970 with a BA in History, continuing his studies with post-graduate courses in economics and statistics at George Washington University.

Bill spent 17 years with the U.S. Bureau of the Census as a statistician, compiling and analyzing economic data and as a manager of an economic indicator program in the Industry Division. In the International Statistical Programs Center he was an international consultant in over 15 countries. After that, Bill took his expertise to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he worked for 16 years until his retirement in 2002. While at OMB, he developed a government-wide credit subsidy model and a complex interest cost model which would be used by the Treasury Department in financing decisions. His colleagues remember him as a master at analyzing and presenting complex budget data and as a patient teacher. After he retired from OMB, Bill consulted for several agencies, including helping the Peterson Foundation develop a series of options to balance the long-term federal budget for various interest groups.

Bill was known for his excellence in the craft of storytelling; he captivated his audiences with details and imagery. His extensive travel experiences and photographic memory made him conversant on virtually any subject. He never met a stranger and he befriended everyone, from the slug line carpool driver to the physicians and nurses who cared for him. Whether hosting a Redskins game get-together, or calculating odds for the Kentucky Derby, he loved gathering with friends and family. He also cherished the quiet times at home with his soulmate Kathy and his walks through the woods with his dog, Sophie and growing flowers and vegetables in the garden. Bill delighted in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren and will live on in their memory. Bill was an avid reader and just loved life!

Contributions in Bill’s memory can be made to a charity of your choice.