Friday, December 30, 2016
I met Bill fifteen years ago, when I left my position as a classroom teacher at one elementary school in the West Genesee District to become an intervention specialist at another building: Stonehedge. My initial impression of Bill was that he was intelligent and quirky, in the best possible way. When I was assigned to “push in” to his room to provide additional math practice in preparation for the NY State exams, Bill’s genuine concern for his students was apparent, as was his kindness and patience. Several years later, when we bonded over a mutual decision to retire, I recognized how proud Bill was to be an educator. Neither one of us was leaving the profession we loved with absolute enthusiasm; I was about to become my husband’s caregiver as he battled a terminal illness, and Bill admitted that he felt the need to move on to make room for one of the many qualified recent college graduates who were hoping to find fulfillment, as we had, helping children achieve their full potential. How altruistic. How Bill. I feel fortunate to have known him.
