Willem (Bill) Grandia was born in Surabaja, Indonesia, on July 22nd, 1933, where his father was commissioned as Colonel in the Royal Dutch Air Force. The family returned to Holland in 1936, where Bill grew up, received his education and attended the Canisius Jesuit College. He studied applied physics and electronics and graduated as an Electronic Engineer. After finishing military service in 1955, he was employed by RTD (Rontgen Technische Dienst), where he started his life-long career in ultrasonics, eddy current and X-rays techniques. It was during this time that he designed an ultrasonic B-scan presentation for electro-encephalography.
In 1961 Bill moved with his wife Joanna and their first three children, Willem, Annemarie, and Bert to California. He worked as instrument and circuit design engineer for the Magnaflux Corporation, the Budd Company, Test Systems International, Inc. and others, always finding new and innovative solutions for non-destructive testing. In 1967 the growing family moved to Florida, where he designed one of the newest electronic keyboards, following his second devotion, playing the piano. After returning to California in 1971, he started Grandia Laboratories and in 1981 founded Quality Material Inspection, Inc. in Costa Mesa, where he served as president and director of R&D until his passing.
Registered in California as a Professional Engineer (P.E.), Willem Grandia became known to the NDE industry for his imaginative and highly creative engineering, finding solutions to many problems and introducing lasting improvements to ultrasonic and eddy current testing technology.His most recent and successful innovation is the Airscan technique, where ultrasonic testing is performed without contact and without couplant. His latest efforts were devoted to the development and engineering of a very original high-power transducer for medical treatments, and the design and development of an ultrasonic motor. Bill authored and co-authored many scientific publications, conducted many lectures, and held several patents. He was certified at Level III for Ultrasonics, Eddy Current, Magnetic Particle, and Penetrant, and approved by major contractors.
Bill is remembered by many colleagues and friends not only for his outstanding technical knowledge and expertise, but even more so for his integrity, very high moral standards, his patience, gentleness, and for his boundless generosity and love for everyone. After fighting cancer for a year, he succumbed in the early morning hours of November 11, 1998 at his home in Newport Beach, California.
Bill is mourned by his wife Joanna, his children Willem, Annemarie, Bert, Letty, Peter, Karin, and Eric, his sisters Aja, Leny, and Willy, by 13 grandchildren and 5 step grandchildren, their families, relatives and many friends and colleagues.