William Ernest “Bill” Uhde, 80, a longtime Sandy Hook resident, died March 7. He was born in New York and was the son of Wilhelm and Kathe (Mattner) Uhde.

His wife of 56 years, Gay Uhde; his children and their spouses, William and Peggy Uhde of Newtown, Melissa and Ron Malone of Ocala, Fla., and Steven and Linda Uhde of Sandy Hook; his five grandsons, who were his pride and joy; and his sister, Cathy Uhde, survive him.

Mr Uhde took great pride and enjoyed tending to his award-winning peony garden. He and his wife were among founding members of Prince of Peace Church in Brookfield, and they helped design the church. Mr Uhde also had a passion for trains and model railroads.

He graduated from NYU with a degree in mechanical engineering. In his engineering career, he worked for Sperry, UAS, Unimation, and FANUC, among many other leading engineering firms in St Charles, Ill., and St Petersburg, Fla.

Mr Uhde’s vast career included developing navigation systems for submarines and airplanes. He made a name for himself as an engineer in the robotics industry, where he was awarded several patents. He was most noted for his contributions to several engineering publications.

His loved ones say that all enjoyed conversing with him, as he shared some great history in his lifetime, and that he is sorely missed by all and will be forever in their hearts.