William O. Fleckenstein, 91, of Bethlehem, died March 9, 2017, at Moravian Village Health Center, Bethlehem. Born in Scranton, he was a son of the late August and Helen (Dippre) Fleckenstein. He was the husband of the late Jeanne H. Fleckenstein for 67 years.

He was in the Pacific Theater on the U.S.S. St. Paul in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He graduated from Keystone College and Lehigh University, where he won the Dupont Prize as the highest ranking senior in electrical engineering.

He was a vice-president of switching systems at Bell Telephone Laboratories, and was a leader in moving the Bell System telecommunications network to a fully electronic switching, digital switching, common channel signaling and automated operator services. He retired from Bell System in 1986. He then was a telecommunications consultant for the Siemens Corporation.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem.

He was a Lehigh University trustee for many years. He was elected, in 1971, a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He was a member of Moscow Lodge 501, Free & Accepted Masons.

He is survived by a daughter, Anne Pistell; two sons-in-law, David Kozak of North Haven, Conn. and Christopher Teasdale of Califon, N.J.; three grandchildren, Brad Teasdale of Garrison, N.Y., Lauren Pistell of Liverpool, N.Y. and Colin Pistell of Boulder, Colo.; and four great-grandchildren, Elijah and Eve McDonald of Liverpool, and Ayla and Ander Teasdale of Garrison.

He was predeceased by a daughter, Lynn Fleckenstein Teasdale.

Contributions may be sent to the William O. Fleckenstein Scholarship Fund, Institutional Advancement Office, Keystone College, One College Green, P.O. Box 50, La Plune, PA 18440-0200.

Arrangements were made by James Funeral Home Inc., Bethlehem.