Back in the day, Bill worked for a man named Dan Biggers. He was the director of the Museum and Oak Hill, and a longtime fixture at Berry. He was kind, funny, and felt like a friend more than a boss. He was the one who cleared the way to have my bridal portraits taken in and around Oak Hill back when it was not allowed. Because Bill lived and worked there, Mr. B bent the rules a bit. He was always working, and no matter how long we had been away, whenever we went back for a visit, he stopped what he was doing for a long chat.
He had a hobby of acting that turned into a sideline profession. You might know him as Dr. Rob the coroner on the TV show In the Heat of the Night. Or you may have seen him in the movie Elizabethtown, or in any number of Hallmark movies. I can’t tell you how many times we were watching a movie and suddenly there he was on screen. We would say, “Hey look! It’s Mr. Biggers!!” We heard that he died today after a long decline in health. It saddens me to think his face will no longer surprise us at the movies, or on TV. He was a wonderful man. He had a passion for all things Berry, including the students. He was an example of doing what you love, and loving what you do. Living fully every day. His influence will live on for those of us he mentored along the way.