John Anthony Clifton Bingham
May 7, 1933-Sept. 24, 2025
Palo Alto, California
John passed away peacefully at the age of 92 at his home in Palo Alto with his two daughters present. A Palo Alto resident for 59 years, John will be remembered for his important contributions to technology, his love of math and language, his witty sense of humor and his abundant zest for life.
John Anthony Clifton was born May 7, 1933 in Croydon, England to Edward and Isabelle Winifred Bingham. He grew up in Chingford, just outside London, with his older sister Anne and younger brother Paul. Evacuated as a child during WWII only to return home just in time for "the Blitz," he nevertheless had fond memories of his childhood, of riding bicycles in nearby Epping Forest and participating in the Boy Scouts. He attended Sir George Monoux Grammar School and Imperial College, London, where he studied Electrical Engineering.
Motivated by a spirit of adventure and a dearth of engineering jobs in the UK, John emigrated to Canada in 1956 and then to San Francisco in 1957 before settling in Palo Alto in 1966. A pioneer of Silicon Valley, he earned his Master's degree from Stanford University in 1961. John worked at GTE Lenkurt, Fairchild, and Memorex before hitting his stride at Vadic Corp., where he was a key engineer in the development of full duplex modems. In the early 1990s John joined Amati Communications Corporation, where he worked with founder John Cioffi in developing the revolutionary technology of DSL. A prolific writer, he was the author of many technical publications and two textbooks on Modem Design and ADSL, VDSL and Multicarrier Modulation, and held over 25 patents in the field of digital communications.
John met the love of his life, Lunetta Yelonek, in the San Francisco Bach Choir. John and Lu were married in Albuquerque, N.M. in 1959, and lived in San Francisco and Hampstead, London for a few years before settling in Palo Alto on Webster street. John and Lu's shared hobbies included singing with the Schola Cantorum and Masterworks Chorale, folk dancing with friends, attending a wide variety of musical events, hiking and traveling extensively. John also enjoyed volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, coaching AYSO soccer, tutoring high school students in math, and dancing with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. In 2014 the Binghams moved to the Hamilton, where John was known for his performances at Talent nights, singing and telling jokes and stories.
John is survived by his daughters Anne Goess and Patricia Goity and their husbands Kevin and Larry, his grandchildren Frank Goess and Sam and Rose Goity, and his brother Paul Bingham of St. Albans, UK. Anne and Trish would like to express their gratitude to the wonderful family of caregivers that provided immeasurable support during John's final months of life.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, November 8 at 4 p.m. in the Living Room of the Hamilton, 555 Byron St., Palo Alto.
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