It is with great sadness that the family of William Peter Magenheimer tells you of his sudden and unexpected death due to a massive heart attack on the Winter Solstice, December 21, 2024.
Bill lived life according to his sensibilities and, more importantly, for happiness, even if that ran counter to conventional thought at times. He never lost his sense of fun, quest to learn, or bemused enjoyment of the world, all while sharing his spirit with those around him.
Bill was a gentle giant of a man: kind, playful and helpful. Although he encountered major difficulties in his life, he always turned toward kindness rather than bitterness. Bill was the first to lend a hand and the last to criticize.
Bill was born in Waterloo, N.Y., on May 24, 1951, to Dr. William and Helen Magenheimer. He attended Waterloo High School and later got a degree in History from the University of Rochester, was a roadie for the Grateful Dead, and then gained a Master's degree with a credential in teaching. His degrees were not much used, however. His first job was at the Aerospace Museum in San Diego, which burned down on his first day. (He lived a happy life, but not always a lucky life.)
Always good with his hands, he found work at a boatyard in San Diego doing interior carpentry work on yachts and also rebuilding the deck for the Coronado ferry.
It was in San Diego that he met his future wife, Bonnie Lamar, and together the two of them bought and remodeled houses in San Diego. They did the same when they eventually moved to Nashville, Tenn., and finally to Pensacola, Fla. It was there that Bonnie developed ovarian cancer and Bill nursed her through the years until her death in 2002. Shortly thereafter, he lost their home to Hurricane Ivan in 2003.
He married his current wife, Margaret Mae Lund, in 2004, and together they rebuilt a home in Pensacola, an unconventional but hurricane and tornado-resistant concrete dome home. They eventually moved to Trinidad, Colo., where they had many happy years together.
Their love brought joy not only to each other, but also those that witnessed it.
Bill was beloved and leaves behind his heartbroken family and friends: his wife of 20 years, Margo Magenheimer of Trinidad, Colo.; his sister, Linda Altes of La Jolla, Calif.; his sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Jim Webster of Spokane, Wash.; his nieces, Lauren Altes of Long Beach, Calif., and Kara Webster of London, UK; and nephews, David Altes of San Diego, Calif., and Adam Webster of Spokane, Wash.; and many, many friends across the country. We will never forget his spirit of adventure and are eternally grateful for his presence in our lives.
May he be met by his many good deeds.
"Love will see you through." - The Grateful Dead
