Tucson, Arizona - William Martin Papic, age 84, passed away on July 1, 2026.

Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, in 1942, Bill grew up in the nearby iron ore mining town of Buhl. As a member of the ham radio club as a teenager, his fascination with electronics eventually led him to the DeVry Institute in Chicago where he pursued a degree in electrical engineering. Following his studies, he began his career as an electrical engineer with McDonnell Aircraft.

As an engineer, Bill contributed to the Gemini space program during the early years of the space race. He loved sharing stories from that remarkable time, from his work on the nation's pioneering space efforts to his travels studying lightning in Florida and contributing to the adoption of early computing technology in the 1960s and 1970s.

Bill returned to Minnesota where he met Sharon Nelson, married in 1969, and began raising their family in Eden Prairie. They shared more than 50 years of marriage until Sharon's passing in 2020.

With an extensive collection of classical music recordings, a wife who frequently performed in church choirs and as a soloist, and two sons deeply involved in piano and band, music was a constant presence in Bill's life. Skilled with his hands whether the work was creative or mechanical, Bill was both a gifted watercolor painter and a master handyman who could build or fix almost anything. He also enjoyed biking, gardening, and cooking. He is remembered for his calm, thoughtful demeanor and for a sense of humor that was sharp and intelligent, informed by his progressive worldview and meant to make people think rather than to center himself. His family fondly remembers him relaxing beside the backyard pool on warm summer evenings in Eden Prairie while listening to Herb Carneal broadcast Minnesota Twins games on the radio.

Unfortunately, in 2006, Bill developed kidney failure that required dialysis. He ultimately received a kidney transplant at the University of Minnesota, made possible by the extraordinary generosity of family friend Marsha Voorhees, who became his living donor. The transplant functioned well for the remainder of his life, and Bill and his family remained deeply grateful for Marsha's gift and the many additional years it gave him.

Later in life, Bill moved to Pensacola, Florida, and eventually to Tucson, Arizona, where he enjoyed being close to his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters.

Bill is survived by his children, Christopher (Gerald) and Jonathan (Lisa); sister Margaret (Dan); his granddaughters, Imogene and Sylvie; and many extended family members and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon Papic.