Obituary of William P. Krum, 82
William P. Krum.
April 2, 1943 – March 28, 2026
– William “Bill” Krum was born in Selma, California, raised among the vineyards and orchards of the San Joaquin Valley, shaped by a childhood of family, farming, and an unshakeable belief that leaving the world a better place mattered. He died unexpectedly in Paso Robles on March 28, 2026, a few days before his 83rd birthday, having lived a life that was extraordinarily well-lived.
A standout student and athlete, Bill earned a football scholarship to UC Berkeley (Go Bears!). And while Cal gave him a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA, its most important gift was introducing him to Narda Kaiser, whom he married in 1965.
Bill launched his career on the frontier of the high-tech industry, long before most people knew what or where Silicon Valley was. His financial smarts allowed him to take his young family, Narda, daughters Stacey and Melissa, to England in the early-1970s to work for Memorex as the Treasurer of European Operations. It was an adventure that deepened his love of travel, broadened his appreciation for good wine, and gave them all stories for a lifetime.
Upon returning to the Bay Area, he worked in finance at Measurex for several years before moving the family to Sacramento in 1977 where he joined Kelly Broadcasting as CFO. The relationships he built there led him to co-found KCS Development, building the office parks and neighborhood shopping centers that helped shape the fabric of his community in the 1980s. He also served as a church deacon and long-time board member for the Sacramento YMCA.
In 1991, Bill and Narda traded city life for a cattle ranch in northern California near Etna in Scott Valley. He exchanged button-down shirts for a cowboy hat and boots, and he wore them well. Retirement, however, was not his style. Bill was simply unable to sit on the sidelines. He was always ready to jump in to help a neighbor fix a fence or dredge a ditch, served as Board Chair of the Siskiyou Resource Conservation District, and was active in the life of his church.
When he and Narda settled in Paso Robles in 2011, drawn first by the mild winters, then by everything else, his active retirement continued. He served on several advisory committees for the Paso Robles Unified School District, as a trustee at Plymouth Congregational Church, and as a weekly volunteer reader to preschoolers at the Marie Bauer Early Education Center. As it was throughout his life, at every job he held, in every community he touched, he was a mentor, a trusted advisor, and a great question-asker. He asked A LOT of questions! He also played a mean game of golf.
Bill is survived by: his beloved wife, Narda Krum; daughters of whom he was immeasurably proud, Stacey Krum (Ned and Emma Ritzmann) and Melissa Dooher (John Dooher); nephew Scott Krum and his wife Val, and their daughters Siri and Annika; niece Cindy Brees and her family; and the wide spread of his cousins across the Central Valley.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Ruth Krum, his brother, Dr. Stephen Krum, and sister-in-law Margaret “Margee” Krum.
Bill Krum understood, the way people who are raised watching things grow do, that what matters is what you tend over time. So, he unfailingly tended to his family, his community, his faith, and his marriage of sixty years that was, as he often said, the best decision he ever made. He was a very good man.
A memorial service will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church, Paso Robles, California, on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.
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