Bill was born in Pueblo, Colorado. He graduated from West High School, Denver, and went on to earn a BA in International Relations in 1962, followed by a Masters in International Politics and Economics from the Graduate School of International Studies at Denver University in 1965.
After time served in the United States Army and working in Washington, D.C. as an Economist for the U.S. Bureau of International Commerce, Bill returned to Denver and began a carpentry apprenticeship in 1971. His focus was putting together complex historic restoration projects and he was particularly talented in wood workmanship. He had many interests and passions.
Bill spent a couple years as a volunteer probation counselor with the Denver County Courts. He was an avid outdoorsman, with a strong passion for hiking, backpacking and caving. He joined the Colorado Grotto in 1954 and served as its chairman for two terms. He was a long‐standing member of the National Speleological Society. In 1969, he was the founder of the Colorado Cave Survey, established to coordinate the exploration and mapping of Groaning Cave, Colorado’s longest cave.
He spent several decades pursuing his love of carpentry, caving, and nature. He moved from Denver in 1994 and started a new career with the U.S. Park Service, where he and his beloved wife, Pat Jablonksy, were able to live and work in several wonderful wild areas like Petrified Forest National Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Bill proudly retired from the U.S. Park Service as the Chief of Maintenance for Devils Tower National Monument in April 2008. He and Pat moved to their new home in Delta, Colorado, where they spent the next several years rebuilding a rather rundown house. With their love, support and sweat they transformed the modest house into a wonderful home.
Throughout all of his adventures (and there were countless!), he was always present in living the values of the Quaker faith, going back to early days as a lobbyist against the death penalty, and always a pacifist. He sought out opportunities during his travels for worship. As he and Pat settled into their life on Colorado’s Western slope, he was inspired to work with Mountain View Friends Meeting to help with the formation of the Montrose Friends Meeting.
Despite not having lived in Denver for a long time, Bill’s spiritual home always remained with Mountain View Friends Meeting on South Columbine St. His children, Paul and David attended worship there with their father. They remember in the late 70s/early 80s, helping their father build a wheelchair access ramp in the back of the meetinghouse which still stands today. Over the years, familiar friends always greeted Bill on rare occasions when he was in Denver and attended worship. His son Paul recently reflected, “Mountain View Friends Meeting held a very special place in his heart.”
Please also see Durango Meeting's Memorial Minute for Bill here.