A Life Story

William Bruce Ratcliff, age 80, of Savannah, Georgia, passed away on Thursday, June 20, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia with his wife by his side. He was born on May 15th, 1944 in New Castle, Indiana to the late Walter and Mildred Ratcliff. He first met his wife Georganne in first grade. They later reconnected in eleventh grade German class. Bill attended Purdue University and earned a bachelors degree in engineering. After college, Georganne and Bill were married within three years. Together, they started a beautiful family and life. In 1985, the family of five including one cat and one dog moved to Savannah, Georgia when Bill was offered a job at Gulfstream. Bill had a successful career as an Electrical Engineer. He began his career in 1965 working in the planning of bulk power systems and the development of engineering and scientific computer applications. He experienced first-hand the evolution of information technology as a corporate tool along with the opportunities and problems it brought forth. His decades of experience in corporate operations extended beyond computer applications into engineering, manufacturing, procurement, finance, human resources, quality improvement, corporate planning, and administration. His range of industrial knowledge included aircraft manufacturing (Gulfstream Aerospace), electric utilities (Public Service Indiana, Edison Electric Institute) and non-profit organizations (Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis & Diocese of Savannah). Bill's primary interest and focus throughout his career was to help organizations implement change (fundamental and evolutionary) to achieve an alignment to a single driving force/strategic direction. Bill was an IEEE Life Senior Member and former Region 3 Director (2008-2009). Bill made a significant impact on IEEE MGA through his efforts to emphasize the importance of the member, leading the drive to change the Regional Activities Board to the Member and Geographic Activities Board. Bill was also known for strategic thinking and for encouraging teams to determine the root cause of a problem before seeking solutions. He led IEEE Strategic Planning Committee, Region 3 Strategic Planning Committee, and helped the IEEE MOVE project develop and execute its strategic plan. Bill was a devoted member of Sacred Heart Church for 38 years and actively participated in the Men's Group. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Georganne Clay Ratcliff, his three children David Ratcliff, Anna Marie (Mike) Jones, and Theresa Lynn (Richard) Hodnett, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. A rosary and visitation will be held at Sacred Heart Church on Monday, July 1, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. . In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cancer Support Services or the Lydia House in Augusta, Georgia.