William "Bill" F. McTernan, III

William F. McTernan III, (Bill) passed from this life in Fort Collins, Colorado on November 6, 2015 after a brief illness. Born on July 18, 1948 in Casper, Wyoming, Bill was the son of William F. and Josephine K. McTernan. He grew up in Casper, graduating from Natrona County High School in 1966. Bill attended the University of Wyoming earning a Bachelors degree in Biology and a Masters degree in Water Resources. After working at VTN Colorado and the Wyoming Water Resources Research Institute, he returned to school to earn a PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. While at Virginia Tech, he met Elizabeth M. (Beth) Littlefield and they married in 1980 just before returning to Laramie, Wyoming to work for the Department of Energy, Laramie Energy Technology Center. In 1985 Bill accepted a faculty position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Oklahoma State University where he remained, achieving the rank of Professor, until his retirement in 2013. Teaching was Bill's first love and it was the interaction with his students that he enjoyed most. Over the course of his tenure he advised and guided over 190 graduate students through their degrees and on to successful careers. You can take the man out of Wyoming, but not Wyoming out of the man. Bill loved the Wyoming mountains area, especially the Snowy Range Mountains, Jackson Hole and Vedawoo. In retirement he was able to return to the region he loved and enjoyed hiking, biking, brewing his own beer and was active in the community. He loved traveling with the family for vacations and soccer games. He was a wonderful husband and best friend to Beth and was devoted to his two sons, Jim and Mike, following all their activities with great joy. Bill is survived by his loving wife Elizabeth M. (Beth); sons, James A. McTernan and Michael P. McTernan of Fort Collins; grandson, Tanner Czerny of Murray, Utah; father in law, David Littlefield of Syracuse, NY; brother in law, Thomas Littlefield; brother in law, Charles Littlefield and his wife, Rebecca of Watertown, NY; niece, Caitlin Littlefield of Watertown, NY; niece, Pauline Quay and her husband, Jeff and grandniece, Colette of Watertown, NY; sister in law, Martha Littlefield; and an uncle, Jerry Melvin of Syracuse, NY. The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the nurses, doctors and staff of the cardiac intensive care unit of Medical Center of the Rockies for their incredible dedication, compassion and care for Bill and all of us. Donations in Bill’s memory can be made to the Food Bank for Larimer County or Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Fort Collins, CO 80524. Honoring his wishes, the family will scatter his ashes in the Snowy Range Mountains at a later date. There will be no memorial service.

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William "Bill" F. McTernan, III

July 18, 1948 - November 6, 2015