William D. “Bill” Thorndike, Jr.

Bill Thorndike

William D. “Bill” Thorndike, Jr., a third-generation Rogue Valley resident, was born on December 15, 1953, and passed away on February 14, 2025, while vacationing with his wife Angela at their cottage on Whidbey Island, Washington.

An inaugural member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Oregon University, Bill also served as the first chair of the board at its inception in 2015. Reelected by his peers to two more terms as chair, the university and the board benefited greatly from his leadership. Bill was twice reappointed to the SOU Board of Trustees by the Oregon governor and served dutifully until his passing in February 2025. He was the 1996 recipient of the SOU President’s Medal – recipients of the medal are recognized for their exemplary service to the university and community, and for demonstrating compassion, integrity, generosity, leadership and courage. He also served as a member of the SOU Foundation Board of Trustees. Named for the Thorndike family, the Thorndike Art Gallery at SOU is indicative of the indelible mark he left on the university.

Bill was a 1972 graduate of Medford Senior High School and graduated in 1976 from Lewis & Clark College with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. After college, he began working at his family’s business, Medford Fabrication, a custom steel fabrication company that has been in operation for almost 80 years. He joined the family business in 1976, was elected president in 1987, and then chairman in 2004. The MedFab team supplies multinational corporations across the globe.

Bill was well known in southern Oregon and the Rogue Valley as a servant leader. He was a strong advocate for education beyond SOU, serving with organizations including the SMART Oregon Children’s Foundation and the Jackson County SMART Advisory Committee. His civic engagement included service with the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County, where he held various leadership positions, the Jackson County Budget Committee, the Jackson County Community Service Consortium (JCCSC) and Rogue Valley Manor Community Services. His dedication to the region’s well-being was recognized with numerous awards, including “Person of the Decade” in 2000 from JCCSC; the “First Citizen Award” in 2007 from the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County, and “the Imagine Award” in 2015 from Resolve (formerly Mediation Works).

Serving the broader state, Bill was appointed to various governmental boards and committees, including two Oregon governors’ Regional Solutions committees, the Senate Commission on Educational Excellence, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, Port of Portland and Oregon Department of Transportation committees. He also chaired the Crater Lake National Park Trust, the Oregon Business Council, and the Oregon Community Foundation. His statewide impact has been acknowledged with prestigious awards such as Willamette University’s Glenn L. Jackson Leadership Award recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity and civic responsibility to the state and its people, and the Tom McCall Leadership Award from SOLV/ Bank of America for helping to preserve livability in Oregon.

Bill’s influence reached beyond Oregon’s borders as well. His expertise in finance and economics led to his service, including as chairman, with the U.S. Central Bank’s Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (Portland Branch). He served on the boards of the Northwest Area Foundation, Philanthropy Northwest and Northwest Business Committee for the Arts. Bill was named “Exporter of the Year” in 1990 by the U.S. Small Business Administration (Oregon) to recognize his experience in international trade.

All told, Bill Thorndike received at least a dozen awards for his professional accomplishments and community service, and he served on almost 60 boards and committees – many concurrently, and often as president or chair. His life was a tapestry woven with threads of business success, leadership and an unwavering dedication to community and service. A true servant leader, SOU’s beloved William D. Thorndike will be deeply missed and will inspire generations to come.