Bruce K. Murdock
Bruce K. Murdock passed away at home in Isla Vista, CA at the age of 84 on December 18, 2025.
Bruce was born in Oakland, California, in 1941 to Clayton Murdock and Lucy Millar. He was the eldest of three children. He was raised in the bay area and earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, with honors, from the University of California, Berkeley.
A brilliant engineer with an insatiable curiosity, Bruce devoted his life to learning, problem-solving, and teaching others. His passion for electrical engineering was expressed through a distinguished career at General Motors / Delco Electronics, his consulting work through Channel City Development Company, and his service on the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science faculty at the UCSB. There, he taught upper-division and graduate courses in network analysis and synthesis.
Bruce was the author of Handbook of Electronic Design and Analysis Procedures Using Programmable Calculators, contributed numerous technical articles, and held two circuit design patents. His work spanned a wide range of projects, including contributions to the steering system of the Lunar Rover and involvement in several top-secret projects. Throughout his life, he found great joy in sharing his knowledge and helping others learn.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Bruce was deeply engaged in his community and wide-ranging interests from rocketry, computers, music, biking, skiing to local politics. He served as president of the Personal Programming Club and the Santa Barbara Theatre Organ Society, and was an active member of the Santa Barbara Ski Club and the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit. He also served several terms on the board of the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District.
Bruce is preceded in death by his parents Clayton and Lucy (Millicent) Murdock and his brother Gary Murdock. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Murdock; his daughter, Marline Murdock; his grandsons, Jacob Mowatt and Casey Mowatt; and his sister, Bonnie Johnson.
A celebration of life will be planned in the spring of 2026.
