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Ernie Blaskovits posted a symbolic gesture
Friday, December 23, 2016
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John Zolan posted a condolence
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Bill was one of my oldest and dearest friends, and I will miss him tremendously. We met in 1973 when he attended the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), where I was working on my MS degree in engineering. We served together as resident advisors in the dorms for two years and became good friends during that time. Bill was well-liked by the students in the dorm building he administered because he treated his undergrad students fairly and with respect. We grew closer through a couple of wilderness canoe trips we took to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota. Bill was quite an asset to our group owing to his experience before IIT, having served our country as a paratrooper in Viet Nam and then spent a year with Mobil in Alaska in a remote area beyond where roads go, both of which made him strong and resourceful. I was honored to have him stand up for my wedding in 1975.
Our friendship deepened as we continued to share the outdoors, in particular via many joint trips to the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, where we shared a canoe and tent a couple of dozen times in the wilderness, and shared the solitude that this pristine venue provided, including the brilliant stars at night, the sound of the loons on the lakes, and the howling of the wolves in the distance. We honed our angling skills together and weathered some storms and adverse conditions along the way together...amazing bonding experiences.
We also shared a wilderness experience by embarking on a tundra canoe trip into uncharged territory in the Northwest Territories in Canada with our good friend Ernie, a trip we later looked back on as foolhardy given the remoteness of this trip, the dangers involved, and the low margin for error.
I remember when Bill bought Coren's Rod and Reel in Chicago with his friend Eric. I didn't hesitate to loan them some startup money, and they reliably paid me back as I knew they would. Bill also provided me with the materials to build my first fly rod and got me involved with fly fishing, and he taught me how to become a competent fly caster. I tied my first trout fly in Bill's apartment in Chicago with his instruction, and I still have that fly as a remembrance. Bill inspired me to get involved in the fly fishing sport that we both loved, and as a result I now teach others in fly casting and fly tying and am now the president of our local chapter of Trout Unlimited. Thanks Bill for sending me in this direction.
I will really miss my regular phone chats with Bill. Once he left Coren's, he seemed to be burnt out on fishing, but we talked at length on all sorts of things, not the least of which was his dogs. We were on the same wavelength, as I have a dog as well. We had been recently talking about getting together here in Ann Arbor in the spring along with our pets.
I have a number of acquaintances, but only a very few I'd consider as serious friends. Bill was one of those. I will miss him a lot.
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Dick & Julie Reina lit a candle
Sunday, December 4, 2016
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Dick & Julie Reina posted a condolence
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Dear Sharon, Tom & Family,
Please accept our heartfelt sympathy on the death of your brother. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers at this sad time. Fondly, Dick & Julie
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John Condic posted a condolence
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Bill will be sorely missed because he carried himself with class and dignity in every aspect of his life. It was my honor to know him and share a special fishing canoe trip into the Canadian wilderness. When the Lord said, "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men", Bill will probably volunteer to help haul in the catch on the Last Day.
John Condic
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E posted a condolence
Saturday, December 3, 2016
I met Bill about 40 years ago at the Chicago Fly Fishers where we spent many hours tying flies, drinking coffee and cooked up schemes to go fly-fishing. In 1985 we ran Corens Rod & Reel and restored fishing tackle and produced custom fishing rods. If you own a rod that was built by Bill, you can be guanteed that it is the finest available. It is with fond memories that I celebrate the life of Bill Somerville.
Eric Heckman
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Eric Heckman uploaded photo(s)
Saturday, December 3, 2016
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VINCENT/ELEANOR MICEli lit a candle
Saturday, December 3, 2016
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We send our condolences to all of Bill's family. May he rest in peace with his parents.
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Erin lit a candle
Saturday, December 3, 2016
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Dick Besetzny posted a condolence
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Please accept my sincere condolences. Bill and I have been friends for many years and spent many happy hours at fishing lure collecting shows. Our contact has been only by phone since he moved from Chicago, and I will miss talking to him. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Dick Besetzny
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The family of William G. Somerville uploaded a photo
Friday, December 2, 2016
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