Francis ''Bill'' Leo Struben

Francis "Bill" Leo Struben, devoted husband, father, grandfather and father-n-law; passionate artist, inventor, builder, sportsman and traveler died on January 11 at the age of 93 after a years-long decline to Alzheimer's.

Born in 1920, Bill grew up in the Overlea area, in a house without plumbing, and through the generosity of others, attended St. Michaels's School in Overlea. An industrious child, at the age of eight, he sold newspapers for two cents each at the Overlea car barn, and carried grocery bags from the car barn to people's houses for a dime. He continued working diligently to support his mother, especially after his father's death when Bill was just fifteen. He and his ambitious mother sold flowers, grown in their backyard, on the streets of Baltimore, and he had a popular snowball stand in front of his house during his high school years. These were good lessons for Bill, learning the importance of hard work and helping family.

Bill's artistic talent was honed in childhood. He submitted cartoons to the local newspapers, and while still in high school, he graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art Night School with a degree in Commercial Illustration.

The day after his 1939 graduation from Kenwood High School, Bill began working for the Glenn L. Martin Company. He used his artistic skills there to boost morale in the war effort, drawing large posters for every department.

In August 1944, he served with the Mountain Troops of the U.S. Army before being sent to Italy in January 1945, where he remained until the end of World War II. While in Italy, he contributed drawings and cartoons to the GI newspaper, The Post.

After the war, and Bill's subsequent return to the Glenn L. Martin Company, he built a trailer at night for a future Alaskan trip. He then supplied his custom trailer designs to local businesses and families, keeping him so busy that he started his own full time trailer business, Custom Coach Company in 1947. Then after being awarded the first of his 22 patents, he started Silver-top Manufacturing Company in White Marsh, with the Bridge Braced Awning. He advertised his awning by showing 28 men and a dog standing on its curved roof.

In 1951, Bill married the former Jean Clare Ritter. They would have celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary on January 14.

His oldest daughter, Carol, said that her father had a strong work ethic. "Walking around Silver-Top in his khakis and an old shirt, you would never know Dad was the owner of the company." He valued his employees as family, and many employees have stayed on for years past retirement age. Dad tackled every project he did in a new and creative way. Throughout his life he was thankful to all those who had helped him and was mindful of giving back to others who were starting out as he did.

All roads led to Silver-Top, and while on family vacations, Bill would also stop at dealers along the way. A great valuer of family, he took his family camping in most of the 50 states, as well as Canada. They traveled the famous dirt-covered Alcan Highway in 1966, reaching Alaska in the camper he designed and seeing a Silver-Top awning in Sitka, Alaska.

He was an avid fly-fisherman, locally on the Bush and Susquehanna Rivers, as well as in Florida, Maine, and Alaska. After settling with his family at Briar Ridge Farm, he enjoyed keeping the property as a place for wildlife to thrive. For 50 years he has provided a place for use by scouts and church groups to camp at no charge. In 2008 Francis was proclaimed a Harford County Living Treasure.

Bill is survived by his wife Jean, two daughters, Carol Knickman and Linda Trott, their husbands, Ed Knickman and Willis "Buzz" Trott. He was a devoted and loving grandfather to Clare Knickman Dalby, her husband Josh and Thomas Knickman.

Pallbearers were Willis Trott, Ed Knickman, Thomas Knickman, Clare Knickman Dalby, Marc Marcantonio, Rick Marcantonio and Bernie Wirsing.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Alzheimers Disease Association, 1850 York Road, Suite D, Timonium, MD 21093-5142 or The F. Struben Foundation, Inc., c/o Silver-top Mfg. Co., P.O. Box 225, White Marsh, MD 21162.