When I was ‘Doc Bill’s’ teacher in a self-contained Sixth-Grade Classroom, I noticed his special interest in helping others and delving more deeply than most of his classmates into the Anatomy sections during our science classes. Back in the 1960s, I taught something called "The Unit Plan" in my classroom, hoping to relate every one of the some FOURTEEN subject areas we attempted to cover during the year into a composite theme. An example: "MEXICO" in social studies as a theme led us to do related art projects such as making our own paper mache PINATAs, singing ‘La Cucaracha’ as I accompanied the class on my "Army Surplus" portable pump organ, playing "Futbol" at P.E. class, cooking Mexican Recipes on the classroom Hot Plate dressed in Sombreros and Mantillas, and directing an Elementary School Musical Production featuring Spanish music and dance starring Grades 4-6 in full costume!
"Bill’s" favorite was our "Anatomy Unit" which included setting up a Tropical Aquarium in the classroom, designing student-made bulletin boards and posters on the different "Systems" of the Human Body, making Insect Collections, interviewing physical education instructors and coaches on Kenesiology, staging outstanding entries in the school-wide "Science Fair", organizing our PE period into an "Intramural Touch Football Contest" between each of the three Grade Six Homerooms; complete with costumed Cheer Leading Squads and use of High School Football Players as "Coaches"; and singing "College Fight Songs" and "Alma Maters" in music class! "Bill" was chosen by his team mates as QB for our Team, as he was in succeeding years, straight through his senior year in high school. Bill was a Scholar-Athlete in the truest sense, as he made outstanding grades and was active in the National Beta Club. As a Sports Medicine Specialist in Birmingham, Alabama, Bill always made room to fit injured players from his hometown of Stevenson, Alabama into his busy schedule, and made sure that their Hospital Insurance Coverage was "adequate" pay for his services, as all high school athletes were required to be covered by "School Insurance".
Then came the day in 1992 when I broke both bones in my right leg in a freak accident at my own home, as I loaded my vehicle on the way to a Dog Show in Atlanta, GA! Falling down a steep flight of steps from my "Front Porch" onto concrete below, my foot was virtually severed from my leg slightly above the ankle. Bill was called out of his Church Service to Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham to do emergency surgery on me that Sunday afternoon. He managed to save my leg by surgical insertion of a Rod and three Plates in what he termed as the most serious injury of its nature in his practice to that date! Bill did all of my Physical Therapy without charge, and used my case as the basis of his ten-year
Alabama State Board Medical Review! The entire procedure’s total cost; including many return visits to his Sports Medicine Center, during the succeeding twelve-month recovery period from Wheel Chair, to Walker, to Cane, and finally a triumphant return for me to the AKC Dog Show Arena; was $100 hospital admission co-pay on my PEEHIP Insurance Policy!
A TRUE HERO!
Check out our "Photographic Tribute to Doc Bill" at Upper Right!
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