William R. Opie - Jackson Twsp.

William Robert "Bill" Opie AGE: 93 • Jackson Dr. William Robert "Bill" Opie, 93, passed away Wednesday morning, May 22, 2013 at home. Formerly a resident of Holmdel, NJ and Hamden Maine, Bill was born in Butte, Montana. He graduated from Butte High School and entered the Montana School of Mines in the fall of 1938. He worked as a miner to pay his school fees and help with expenses at home. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgy in 1942, he went on to receive a Master of Science from Stevens Institute and his Sc.D. in Metallurgy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1949. A Navy veteran, Bill worked as a research metallurgist for American Smelting and Refining and joined the National Lead Company in 1950 as Research Supervisor. While at National Lead, he focused on extractive metallurgy and materials processing. In 1960, he joined Amax Base Metals group as Senior Vice President and Technical Director, and rose to President of Amax Base Metals Research and Development in 1971, a position he held until his retirement in 1985. At Amax, Opie worked with copper and other non-ferrous metals, and continued to publish his findings on the research he was doing. Opie has published over 30 articles and received more than 20 US and International patents for his work in titanium, zinc and aluminum alloys. His patents and work had far-reaching impacts both in the minerals and mining field as well as practical application in other fields work with such as alloys for medical implants for joint replacement, and his work is used in the nuclear field. Dr. Opie has received numerous awards and accolades for his work. He received an Honorary Masters of Metallurgical Engineering from Montana School of Mines in 1962 and an Honorary Doctorate from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology in 1980. He is a fellow of both ASM and TMS A.I.M.E., and in 1982, he was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. He has served as treasurer of The Metallurgical Society, chairman of Extractive, Metallurgy Division of A.I.M.E., chairman of the Technical Committee, International Copper Research Association, and chairman of the Germanium Research Committee. Bill was also active in his community serving on various boards including the Holmdel Cemetery Board and the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust. Preceding Bill in death are his parents, Ellison and Myrtle Opie and his sister, Betty. Bill is survived by his wife of 68 years, Constance Kickuth Opie; a daughter, Lyle Margaret, her husband Ralph Sturmfels; a son, Guy William Opie and his wife Nancy Opie; four grandchildren, Blythe Schell and husband Edward, Corey Sturmfels and wife Filomena, Kim Sturmfels-Hall and husband Robert, Tiffany Stevenson and husband Bill; step grandson, Shean and eight great grandchildren. A memorial service followed by internment at Holmdel Cemetery in Holmdel NJ will be held Tuesday, May 28 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Clean Water Fund (www.cleanwaterfund.org) or the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust. (www.greatpondmountain.org.) . Published in Asbury Park Press on May 26, 2013