William Hewlett, cofounder and former president of Palo
Alto-based Hewlett-Packard, died at home in his sleep at 8 a.m.
this morning. He was 87 years old.
“Our hearts go out to the families, as we join them in mourning
the loss of a great and gentle man,” says Carly Fiorina, HP
chairman, president and CEO. “We, as stewards of his legacy, will
cherish and nurture Bill’s bright spirit of invention, remembering
and celebrating the rich heritage that he and Dave entrusted us
with.”
Together with David Packard, who died March 26, 1996, Hewlett
founded Hewlett-Packard in 1939 in a one-car garage. The company
grew to such proportions that its total revenue last year exceeded
$48.8 billion, and now employs more than 88,500 employees.
The garage, now a California state historical landmark, is
considered by many to be the birthplace of Silicon Valley.