William J. Shanahan

Lab retiree William J. Shanahan, a resident of Orinda, died Nov. 4. He was 90.

Born May 20, 1922 in Brockton, Mass. to William Joseph Shanahan Sr. and Ada Landry Shanahan, he graduated from Thayer Academy in Braintree 1940 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

In 1945 he graduated from Tufts University in Boston with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Following his discharge from the Navy, he worked in China, the Philippines and Jakarta, Indonesia.

While in Jakarta he met Giulia Zampini in 1954. They were married in 1957 and moved to Berkeley, Calif. Shanahan earned an MBA from the UC Berkeley in 1959. From 1959 until his retirement in 1985 he worked for LLNL.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Giulia, cousins in Massachusetts and Maryland, and his godchild in Washington D.C.

He had many interests and a thirst for knowledge. He was a voracious reader and lover of classical music. An avid cyclist, hiker and runner, he loved driving sports cars.

Friends and family are invited to a funeral service on Friday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. at Queen of Heaven Cemetery 1965 Reliez Valley Road, Lafayette, Calif. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.