OBITUARY: 1961 Melbourne High School Graduate Bill Bright Passed Away July 31 at Age 80

Bill played a key role in bringing newspapers into a new age of electronic publishing, transitioning them from analog to digital

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Bill Bright, car aficionado, Harley Davidson lover, sailor, and all-around cool guy, passed away at home on July 31. Bill was born in 1943 to William and Frances Bright and spent his childhood and early teen years growing up on Long Island.

The family relocated to Grant, Florida, and Bill became part of the Melbourne High School Class of 1961 and later graduated from Florida Tech with a degree in mathematics.

While Bill started his career coding at the Tech Lab at Patrick Air Force Base, he truly found his niche in the publishing business, which was just beginning the transition from typewriters and hot type to computerized editing and production.

Bill played a key role in bringing newspapers into a new age of electronic publishing, transitioning them from analog to digital.

He created multiple algorithms including one that found the optimum layout for classified ads and one that correctly split lines to fit paragraphs of text into the columns used by newspapers.

Bill was the quintessential strong, silent guy. He didn’t make it easy to get to know him, but those who took the time to do so discovered a man with a kind, gentle spirit and a quick wit. He enjoyed the quieter joys of reading and listening to his favorite music (well, Meatloaf wasn’t so quiet ) mixed with the thrill of taking his Harley or Corvette for a spin.

Left to remember the amazing Bill Bright are his wife, Carmen; his sons Bill (Vicki) and Travis; grandchildren Garret and Madison; Bill’s brother, Frank (Cathy); nephew Brian (Jenny) and great-nephews and great-niece Alden, Foster and Claudia. He will also be greatly missed by Carmen’s extended Lopez/Rivera clan.

The Bright family would like to express its heartfelt thanks to the medical team who cared for Bill with great compassion and kindness: Dr. David Shapiro and Janet Douglas, RMA at Steward Internal Medicine, as well as PA Trey McMullen and Lori, also at Steward; Dr. Kelly Dunn; Dr. Anthony Tran; the Neurology Clinic; and the hospice staff of St. Francis Reflections. Thank you also to the wonderful individuals who helped care for Bill at home – Dora from Assisting Hands; Abby with StretchAbility; Jital and Bree with Coastal Occupational Therapy; and Eileen. They are grateful to you beyond words.

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