William "Bill" Kemmerer

William “Bill” Kemmerer, 92, of Brookville, PA, passed away on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, in Brookville. He was born on June 16, 1931, to the late Francis J. and Alice Claire (Hidinger) Kemmerer in Ridgway, PA. Bill married B. June Spencer on February 23, 1963, in Grover, PA; she survives him. Bill did woodworking at The Hyde-Murphy Company, one of the largest and most renowned specialty woodworking mills in the United States. Bill stopped working at Hyde-Murphy when he entered the United States Army during The Korean War, Bill was stationed in the Republic of Korea and earned a Korean War Service Medal for his heroism. On June 25, 2000, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the war, Bill received a letter from former President of South Korea, Kim Dae-jung, thanking him for his service and sacrifice. After returning home, he utilized his GI Bill to attend Tri State College, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering in March of 1960. This venture would open more exciting doors in Bill’s life. He was featured in the 1959-60 edition of “Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges”, a national college student recognition program. He was a member of the honorary fraternity, Tau Sigma Eta. Bill secured a job with IBM in Poughkeepsie, NY, and spent the next thirty-three years of his life devoted to his work, retiring in 1993. Bill was an exceptional engineer, having been project manager on the team that miniaturized the IBM System/360, which was a family of mainframe computer systems announced by IBM on April 7, 1964, and delivered between 1965 and 1978. This computer was an instrumental piece of the 1969 moon landing capsule. The command module is on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. For his efforts, Bill was also awarded the Data Systems Division President’s Award on January 9, 1990. Bill was an intelligent and devoted man who spent most of his life giving back to his community and country. Bill was a member of Richardsville Methodist Church. In addition to his wife, June, Bill is survived by one daughter, Lynn (David) Valachovic. In addition to his parents, Bill is preceded in passing by one sister, Lillian (Richard) Walizer. A memorial service for Bill will be held at a later date. The arrangements have been entrusted to the McKinney – d’Argy Funeral Home, 345 Main Street, Brookville, PA 15825. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Richardsville Methodist Church, 6615 Richardsville Rd., Brookville, PA 15825, or to Stray Cat Central, 49 Haney Rd., Brookville, PA 15825. Online condolences and other information may be found by visiting www.dargyfh.com