William (Bill) Stanley French, age 81, passed away surrounded by family at St. Tammany Hospital on June 17, 2022. Bill was born to Hazel (Whisler) French/Dahlgren and John William French. Bill was raised in Clarion Iowa with his siblings Eleanor (deceased) and Doug (deceased). While obtaining his Ph. D. in Geophysics at Oregon State University, Bill worked as a babysitter for another graduate student who was a divorced/single woman with five children. He fell in love with this woman and her family and on February 20, 1968 he married Marilyn Esther Kastner and shortly after adopted all five children and they had another together: Bill, June Rowley (Lavon), Scott (Deceased)(Joyce), Tracy, Doug (Whitney) and Ed (Tiffany). We really never think of our family as largely adopted but in retrospect it is an extremely rare and amazing thing that Bill did and it is a great demonstration of his character. Bill (Grandpa) adored each of his eighteen grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren and he is. . .