William "Bill" Paul Krause

William “Bill” Krause had an Illinois childhood on a working farm. Along with his siblings, he milked cows before riding a horse to a one-room schoolhouse 3 miles away. When Bill was 14, his family moved to Point Pleasant, PA. He enrolled in Lawrenceville Prep, where, upon graduation, he won the Trustee’s Cup. He went to Yale University where he studied architecture. Before graduating, he signed with the Navy and served as a Marine pilot, flying aircraft onto carriers during the Korean War. While completing his degree at Yale, he met Sylvette de Aldrey, a painting student at the Whitney School of Art in New Haven. They married, and in 1960 settled in Princeton Borough, raising three daughters and remaining there for the rest of their lives.

Bill began his career as an architect for TechBuilt, a new style of pre- fabricated building, then became a salesman for their first medical centers. On one of his sales trips, he met a doctor who was testing a system developed by Cornell students to “computerize” patient information. Intrigued, Bill bought the program, and started what became known as Systemedics. The company grew into a national firm which was eventually sold to Equifax. Bill then became a consultant to American Express, traveling the world with his wife Sylvette. After retiring from the corporate world, Bill partook in an assortment of entrepreneurial endeavors, which included an art gallery at 14 Nassau Street (Art Ventures), a lighting store in Lambertville, and various small manufacturing businesses. He was keenly interested in solar power energy, holding a few forums of its benefits at his solar home.

Bill was the consummate family man, supporting and encouraging his children in all their endeavors, a trait that carried forth to his grandchildren. His love of Sylvette was immeasurable - theirs was a true love story, which inspired him to write novels based on their lives. 40 summers of family trips to Block Island, where “King Codfish” ruled the tribe, has left indelible memories for the entire extended family. Bill loved people, and was interested in hearing their stories. His curiosity was infectious.

He eventually bought a 4-acre property just outside Princeton, designing a light-filled solar- powered home - one of the prides of his life - and where, last Saturday, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, he closed his eyes for the very last time.

He is survived by his wife, Sylvette, and their three daughters, Jessica Krause, Leslie Krause, and Georgiana (Troy) Sensing, grandchildren Nina (Matt) Palmer, Bianca Scherrei, Abigail (Tyler) Brautigam, Hannah (Michael) Batillo, Thomas Sensing, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Inurnment for Bill will be held on Friday October 4, 2024 11:30 am at Washington Crossing National Cemetery 830 Highland Rd, Newtown, PA. 18940. Family and friends who are joining, please arrive by 11:15 am at the latest.