On the evening of September 6th, 2023 Professor William Sterling Vorus passed away in his

home on See Off Mountain in Brevard, North Carolina. He was 83 years old.

Professor Vorus, oldest child of Mary (Ware) and William R. Vorus was born on June 29th, 1940

in Columbia, South Carolina.

He graduated from North Fulton High School in Atlanta, Georgia in 1958. He attended college at

Clemson University. While there he met and fell in love with Julianne Laura Neal.  They were

married on June 2nd, 1962.

William Vorus earned his Ph.D. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the

University of Michigan in 1971. After working at the naval shipyard in Newport News, Virginia he

returned to join the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1973. During his time in Ann Arbor,

Professor Vorus founded a private engineering consulting firm, Vorus and Associates. He was

renowned for his teaching and prolific in his scholarship, publishing over 100 peer reviewed

journal articles during his tenure. Professor Vorus taught in Ann Arbor for twenty years before

moving to Louisiana to continue his work at the University of New Orleans.

During his long and distinguished career, Professor Vorus received no small amount of

accolades. While in New Orleans he held the position of Chairman of the School of Naval

Architecture and Marine Engineering for eleven years.  He was the recipient of the much-

esteemed Jerome L. Golden Endowed Chair in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

And just prior to his retirement in 2010 he received The William H. Webb Medal for outstanding

educational contributions.  Professor Vorus held numerous engineering patents and was the

author of three books; Principles of Naval Architecture: Vibrations, Hydrodynamics of Planing Monohull Watercraft and the children's book Once We Were Walking in the Woods: Tales of a Grandfather.

Preceding him in death were his parents Mary and William, brother Henry and sister Mary. He

is survived by his wife of sixty-one years Julianne, sons Sterling, Neal (Tracey), Julian

(Hannah), John (Emily), grandsons Dargan, Tobey, William, Eli and Xavier and sister Ann (Jack)

Parkhurst and many cousins, colleagues and friends.

A private service will be held for family and friends.

Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com

Moody-Connolly Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.