In Memory
Bill Kaufmann passed away on October 31st in his sleep after battling several health issues related to his 35yr bout with diabetes. He was born in 1942 in Vallejo California to his parents Royal and Fern Kaufmann. His family soon moved to Napa where he attended elementary school, Napa High class of 1960, and Napa Junior College. He went on to earn his degree in Real Estate at San Jose State. After graduation he moved to Southern California and went to work for Stanford Research Institute in Pasadena. He spent his career working as a Real Estate Developer.
Bill met his wife Carol Erlebach when he returned home to Napa to visit his parents and friends. Carol also grew up in Napa and was two classes below him in school. They went on a blind date to Lake Tahoe and the rest was history. They raised their family in San Marino in Southern California and retired to Homewood in Lake Tahoe. They loved to travel, work in the yard and spend time at the beach and the mountains. Bill was an avid skier, fly fisherman and boater. He has been described as a character, in the best sense of the word. What you saw was what you got with him.
Bill is survived by his two children, Lindsay Kaufmann of Lake Tahoe, Todd Kaufmann and granddaughter Katie Kaufmann of Rocklin, his sister Trudy Kaufmann and nephew Kevin Wilmot of Reno. He will be greatly missed by friends and family. We will always remember him for his wry sense of humor, love of the outdoors, and tough but caring love of his family. There will not be any services performed and his family will gather to join him with his wife in Lake Tahoe this coming summer.
Bonnie McHale (Barron)
Hello,
I am so sorry to hear of Bill's passing. I knew Bill in school and he the was always very nice and funny.
Please accept my deepest condolences to his wife and family. He will be missed I am sure.
Sincerely,
Bonnie (McHale) Barron
Michael "Mickey" Miller
Bill joined our class at Shearer School in 4th grade, I believe. My association with him lasted from then until his passing about a month ago, with our last conversation earlier this year. We did so many things together throughout school at Shearer, Ridgeview and Napa High. After that, the in-person activities slowed as we went to college, and then started our careers, and then families. There was one very important meeting that I am still very appreciative of - Bill was Best Man at our wedding in 1962. We stayed in touch by letter, phone calls and the occasional personal visit. This gave us a chance to stay current on each family's activities like vacations, school work, home improvements, work accomplishments/promotions, relocations.
During high school I spent so much time at Bill's house we would joke that I was the "other son". I really appreciated the time I spent with Bill's family. Bill's parents were very nice people and were great parents. That was critical in helping Bill develop into the nice person he was.
So many of my high school memories were made with Bill (and others), this would be a book if I listed them all. It is simpler to say that I have a wealth of good memories of Bill, and will certainly miss him.
Rest in peace good friend, and I hope you can again enjoy those things that you liked to do.