William Maurits Visscher

WILLIAM MAURITS VISSCHER May 1928 – Nov. 15, 2020

Bill Visscher was born in May 1928 in Memphis, TN and died on November 15, 2020 in Los Alamos, NM.

He grew up in Minneapolis, MN, graduated from the University of Minnesota and received a PhD from Cornell University. While in graduate school, he met Jean Dininny, the daughter of Robert and Elsie Woodford Dininny. They married in July 1951 and were together over 69 years.

Bill and Jean moved to Los Alamos in 1956 where Bill worked as a research physicist in the T-11 group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory until his retirement in 1991. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hiking, biking and skiing. He was quite adventurous, doing bareboat sailing in the Caribbean, hut-to-hut cross-country skiing in Colorado, several 100-mile bicycle rides and a two-week trek in the Himalayas in Pakistan when he was 70 years old.

After they retired, Bill and Jean enjoyed traveling with Elderhostel in the US and internationally to many places including Europe, South America, the Panama Canal, Egypt and China as well as two bicycle trips along the Danube River.

Bill’s other hobbies included building model airplanes, flying a real Cessna, and doing finish work on their Barranca Mesa home and the family cabin in Colorado. He was an active member of Toastmasters and the Los Alamos Unitarian Church for many years. His family will always remember his gentle spirit and dry wit.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Maurice and Gertrude Visscher and his sister Barbara Visscher Kahn.

He is survived by his wife Jean Visscher of Los Alamos, and four children: Wendy Visscher (Cindy) of Gainesville, FL; Judy Henderson (Cooper) of Artesia, NM; James Visscher (Valentina) of Lake Forest Park, WA and Jonathan Visscher (Donna) of Colorado Springs, CO as well as six grandchildren: Bryan and Britni (Judy); Arianna and Marieke (James) and Hailey and Lindsey (Jon). He had five great-grandchildren: Charis, Annabelle, Emmeline, L.G. and Hudson. Bill is also survived by his sister Jantje Visscher of St. Paul, MN and brother Pieter Visscher of Northport, AL along with several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Arrangements have been made by DeVargas Funeral Home and Crematory of Española. A private memorial service is planned. For those who wish to honor his memory, the family suggests donations be made to Habitat for Humanity, Sierra Club or a favorite charitable organization of choice.