William’s passion for all things marine and environment meant I had found a kindred soul. Barb was one of the very first people I met when we came to the island 20 years ago and of course, it was not long after that she knew that Rick and I needed to meet her wonderful partner William.
We can’t thank William enough for all the hours that he spent sharing the latest finds he had in his shop, teaching me that having a car built into your house was just something that happens on Quadra, lamenting together about marine debris and thinking through all the ways that we were going to change the world.
Just a few weeks before his death, we had the pleasure of seeing William and Barb as we sorted through the piles of what most would call garbage that we had collected from the ocean, William saw treasure. It was awesome seeing him so excited and thinking of what he would do with all this treasure. We were all so happy when we found the perfect person for the perfectly good rubber boots that were two different sizes!
William brought me a sample of floats made from spun glass that would negate the need for styrofoam on docks etc. and we want to tell him, we have passed that info onto some of the folks on the coast that may be able to make it happen.
We were absolutely touched when William brought us one of his beautiful pieces of art as a ‘community service award’ for the clean-up efforts. Honestly, it brought tears to my eyes and was so meaningful coming from him, someone who cared so deeply for all things marine. His piece of work sits beside me on my desk and I think of him daily. We promise to keep spreading the love for the ocean!
For many years now, we have been sharing William’s sea creatures with our family, kayaking guests and staff when there is a special occasion or reason to celebrate. Please know that your work has touched so many and has been distributed literally around the world. We also have used your creations as a teaching aid to help people better understand how incredible the marine environment really is.
We wish our kids could have gotten to know you and your passion as you truly are an inspirational human. Thank you for sharing a part of you with us and so many others. Our hearts are with you, Barb and your family.
