William Howard Geoghegan

William Geoghegan, a native of Baltimore, passed away on his 83rd birthday at his home in Easton, MD on May 1, 2023.  He was the son of Marion S. Geoghegan and Philmore W. Geoghegan.  A graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic High School, Bill received a BS degree in Humanities and Science from MIT, and MA and PhD degrees in Anthropology from Stanford University.

In 1963, Bill married Judith Anderson, also of Baltimore, and the couple spent their honeymoon driving across the country to settle in the San Francisco Bay Area.  During the early years of their marriage, Judy taught elementary school while Bill worked on his thesis in Anthropology, making several research trips to the Philippines.  Judy accompanied him on two of the trips to Zamboanga City.  Their first son, Michael, then two years old, stayed with them in Zamboanga and also in the Muslim village on Tagtabun Island where Bill was doing his work.  UC Berkeley invited Bill to finish writing his thesis at the university to be followed by a position in their Anthropology Department.  During his seventeen years at Berkeley, he was both an Associate Professor of Anthropology and an Associate Dean of the Graduate Division.

While at Berkeley, Bill co-founded the Quantitative Anthropology Laboratory, the first computer based teaching and research facility for the social sciences and humanities in the United States.  He also consulted for Teknekron as a senior scientist doing computer work with innovative information system projects for major automotive and energy companies.

As a consultant for IBM, Bill left the university in 1984 to take a position in the company’s Academic Information Systems (ACIS) where he was responsible for the development and integration of IBM’s higher education and market research, executing special projects until his retirement in 2007.

A lifelong hobbyist in photography, genealogy, model building, and ham radio, Bill was able to indulge all of these when he realized his dream of retiring on Maryland’s eastern shore where his parents and grandparents had once lived.  A lover of classical music, he served on the board of Chesapeake Music.  His interest in the past history of Cambridge and the shore led him to also serve on the board of The Dorchester Historical Society and in the presidency of the Tidewater Camera Club.  He and Judy were members of Christ Church, Easton where Bill served on the music committee.  Together, they were members of Aspen Wye Fellows where they enjoyed musical concerts and talks by prominent government officials, authors, and Supreme Court Justices.

In recent years Bill’s major hobby was ham radio, specifically the activities of the Easton Amateur Radio Society.  He participated in Field Day activities; teaching boy scouts the requirements of the Ham Radio Badge and helped to start a scholarship fund for Easton High School students.

Bill will be remembered for his intellect, integrity, and concern for others.  Family was very important to him.  He is survived by his wife of almost 61 years, Judy, his son Michael (Stefanie) of Newport Beach, CA, and son Patrick (Kristen) of Circleville, NY.  He was a loving grandfather to Nicholas, William, and Jack Geoghegan and to Tyler, Lauren, and Erin Geoghegan.  He is also survived by his brother, John Geoghegan (Meg) of Wolfeboro, NH, extended family and friends.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Church later this summer.  Donations in honor of Bill may be made to the Easton Amateur Radio Society, P.O. Box 311, Easton, MD 21601 for the scholarship fund.