William "Bill" K. Bond

If ever there were a moment to doubt and panic, it was now. Bill closed the door of the car which sat lifeless along the side of the road. He was on the eastern plains of Washington state on a stretch of highway that was utterly devoid of traffic. His suitcase carried some clothes, a few reminders of Roscoe, and his transcript from Lawrence University. He was expected in Seattle a few hundred miles away, his Phi Kappa Tau brothers at the University of Washington oblivious to his current station.

Bill had aspirations of becoming an architect and the dreams of a 22-year old to head west and see the country; but now his only promise was his outstretched arm signaling his desperate need to hitchhike out of this barren landscape.

A sedan appeared in the distance. This was Bill's first chance for salvation. The car approached and started to slow. Bill felt a spark of hope that a stranger may show mercy on his wayward condition. Bill heard the deceleration, and as the black car neared, he had what would end up being one of those life moments that confirmed the sovereignty of God. The car slowed to a crawl as it passed him and pulled onto the shoulder; by now Bill recognized the Illinois license plate - - not only was the driver someone he knew, but the passenger was his former girlfriend from Hononegah High School!

He snatched his suitcase as he tried to compose his sheer bewilderment that thousands of miles from home he was being rescued from his plight within minutes by family friends. It was more than good fortune - he would call it Divine intervention. He arrived to the fraternity house on time, enrolled in classes and began a life-long love for the Pacific northwest.

Bill (born William K.) Bond had 80 years' worth of stories and relationships. He married his teacher sweetheart, Jane A. Grose, in June 1968 before they moved to Chile to teach the children of copper workers at the Chuquicamata mine over the next 14 months. Returning to the US, they resettled in Roscoe at the homestead on McCurry Road - a property named "Stonewood" that had been in the family since 1926.

Bill and Jane marked the early 1970's with a daughter, Kathryn (Mark) Severn, and two years later a son, Steven (Heather). When both were toddlers, Bill suffered a critical health event. During his convalescence, Bill experienced another Divine favor through a vision of his name being written into the Book of Life. He would refer back to this revelation many times during the ensuing years to remind himself of God's plan for his eternity.

His career with the Harlem School District teaching 7th graders American history and geography spanned 34 years. During the summers, he and Jane packed up the car, the kids, and the AAA maps to set off across 48 states to experience the country Bill loved. Four grandchildren: Joslyn, Kara, Hailey and Grant came to carry his legacy, and five foster sons: Larry, Sean, Nate, Everett, and Reyle greatly enriched his retirement years. Throughout it all, Bill held to his McCurry family attribute of "never meeting a stranger" and easily made friends around the world on his and Jane's travels, or at NorthPointe where he exercised, or with hitchhikers he would pick up - perhaps wanting to repay the providential Samaritan's debt he'd incurred as a stranded student.

He empathized with those who were alone - investing time visiting widows, the elderly, inmates, and the fatherless. He stewarded his ancestral land, artifacts and genealogies; and he loved to be surrounded by his memories, collections, and photo albums from the 80+ countries/seven continents he'd visited. He wiled away countless hours at the typewriter bringing life to four books: "Skyways to Adventure", "A Matter of Uncertainty", "One Face in a Million" and "Tales of an American Family"; he enjoyed playing piano by ear and talking with friends, Sunday School members and family.

Bill passed away peacefully on January 16, 2021 together with these most important of comforts. He will be celebrated at his Roscoe United Methodist Church during a private service and laid to rest at the Roscoe Cemetery near his parents O. Jack and Connie (McCurry) Bond.

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