 |
| Showing off to his kids in American Samoa |
A true water sign (Cancer the Crab), Bill found swimming opportunities EVERYWHERE, indoor and outdoor. Everything water worked: body surfing, sailing, spear fishing, water skiing, windsurfing, and deep sea fishing.
 |
| Water skiing on honeymoon in Kashmir |
Bill learned to love water in New York. His family had a vacation home on the Long Island coast where he swam and sailed. He also swam in a gymnasium near his Bayside home.
Bill helped establish the yacht club in Pago Pago, Samoa.
 |
| Sailing in American Samoa |
He made Hawaii his US residence to allow him to return with the family every few years for summer home leave. The family spent many weekends at Makapuu beach and Sandy beach where Bill was a regular body surfer.
 |
| Enjoying the water with his kids |
Bill was able to windsurf in several countries, including Hawaii, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Italy.
 |
| Bill windsurfing in Naples, Italy |
Excerpt from Letter to Noel - Al Kobar, Saudi Arabia - November 1980:
“…It was probably the finest beach that I have ever seen anywhere. Just beautiful. We were the only ones there other than the two service men to open the beach for USMTM personnel. Well I asked if they had a wind surfer and it seems that had just received a unit and didn’t know how to rig it. I offered my services as the all overweight Hawaiian champion. It took a while to figure out how to find the parts but I did put it together. I got some windsurfing in and will spend next Thursday morning sharpening my skills and establishing my reputation.
The folks here think that this is winter and too cold for either swimming in the pool or going to the beach. Crazy"
Indeed Bill was able to swim in some cold water. He tried to get a dip in every high elevation lake in the Himalayas.
 |
| Skinny dippin' in high altitude lake in Nepal |
For years after he retired in 1995 Bill never missed a daily morning swim at Barton Springs, no matter the weather or season. When he gave up driving he did most his twice-daily swims in the condo pool.
 |
| Bill at Barton Springs - photo shared by Thomas Hackett |
In September 2014, Bill was walking back from his daily swim when he fell and hit his head, resulting in some internal brain bleeding. Bill never recovered from this fall. His health quickly declined.
Basically...Bill was swimming until the end.
Barton Springs memories
Gin Rohlich Royal
I knew Bill from Barton Springs where I am sure you know he had dozens of friends who loved him dearly. This morning at the pool many of us talked about him and how fun he was. We always loved his annual Mama Bear pancake breakfasts and plan to have one in his honor. I will let you know when. Please know that your father was loved by many and will be missed.
Lynne Marie Discoll
I swam with your dad at Barton Springs and we drove to the pool together when he stopped driving until I moved out of town in 2010. He spoke of you fondly and often, and he was very proud of you. One morning I asked him how his swim had been at BS. With that million dollar smile he proclaimed "It makes me feel alive!" He had a zest for life and he will be greatly missed. Can you picture him walking down the middle of Mesa Drive at 4:30AM with his fins in one hand and his towel in the other?!
Karen Kreps
When I began swimming at the pool, Bill was there daily, swimming pre-dawn, a true polar bear. For many years, he (a big, gruff-sounding teddy bear of a guy) and his daughter Robin organized Mama Bear’s Pancake Breakfast at BSP. When Robin passed in 2004, Sandra Grimes and other friends continued the tradition with Bill. He will be missed.
Steve
My condolences to the Adorno family, he was a great person to talk. Used to see him during my early swim days when the sun was not up and you would run into him doing that back stroke in the pool
Steve Barnick
Acquainted myself with Bill during those the dark morning swims at Barton Springs Pool he was an outspoken advocate for planting trees at the pool before folks even new how to spell the word tree. He had a vision for the pool and the park that to this day I hope will someday come true...
The camping trip to Colorado Bend State Park was a particularly wet one. It rained so much that the river flooded. Unperturbed, Bill decided to go for a swim. The river bent around the camp ground as Bill entered upstream, dodging tree trunks and other hazardous flotsam. By this time Von had zipped herself up in the tent. Bill managed to swim ashore on the opposite end of the campground. Later, rain falling on Bill's head mixed with tears on his face as he pleaded "Von can we go home now?"
ReplyDelete"Von, can we go home now?" was a usual refrain of Bill's - often used when he was tired or bored.
ReplyDeleteI will greatly miss Bill. He was my swimming partner at Mesa Village.
ReplyDeleteWe, well he would talk to the birds, while we listened to classical
music and swam. Bill often shared his deep love for his wife Vonda, his
daughters and his son with me. How proud he was of all of them! I am putting a
chair out for you Bill every morning I swim. No doubt you are swimming high
in the heavens now! Bill, I will miss you dearly. Thank you for sharing your
heart with me, and your great love for life!
I will never forget you.