Bill and I tore Mr. Walter's 5th grade class up at Roosevelt school ... I don't think I had more laughs with anyone before or since. In spite of our nonsense in class Mr. Walter was my inspiration to go into education.
I was very close to Bill while at Ken West. He was part of our group of guys that played sports together and hung around. I used to have many talks with Bill when we were both trying to figure out girls. If Bill was alive today, we probably both would still be trying to figure that one out.
I remember how Bill used to run around the outside of a hurdle during the hurdle race in track. He never could get his steps down correctly. But Bill would always laugh at himself and go on. He just had this sense of humor and did not take life all that seriously. He was just a real fun guy to be around and a great friend.
I will always hold a soft spot in my heart for Bill and I thank him for help making my times at Ken West as nice as I remember them to be!
I hope you guys are coming to the reunion so we can talk more about Bill.
I've lived in Murfreesboro, Tennessee since 1978 and I don't remember how many years ago it was (20+ maybe), I was in the grocery store when I heard someone call my name. Well, he didn't call my name, he called Sue Heath's name. It was Bill. Only I didn't recognize him because his swimmers body was gone and he had a moustache. But the red hair and the voice were a jolt from the past. After chastising him for not even remembering my last name, we did a little quick catching up and decided to get our families together. Imagine, high school sweethearts from Kenmore ending up in the same mid south town.
We went to his second wedding and I would run into him from time to time at Lowe's or Home Depot. I did go to his memorial service. Still can't believe he's gone.
He had a rocky life and never did figure us women out ... except for his sweet daughter, Heidi. Heide and my son Josh got to know each other in high school and Heidi referred to Josh as "her brother from another mother".
I'm glad I got to tell him I was sorry I broke his heart. It had bothered me for years.
It is wonderful to see so many memories about Bill. He had the ability to be uniquely special to many different people, and always had a zest for life. I was fortunate to be with the group that Dave mentioned, and to know Bill from Roosevelt school through high school. We saw each other when he was home on school break, enabling us to extend memories. I lost contact with him when he moved out of town, and miss that we did not have contact.
Bill, look down and see this great number of tributes. You will always live on in many hearts.
I shared your posts with Bill's daughter, Heidi, because I knew your memories of her dad would mean so much to her. She, in turn, asked me to share the following with you. Wonderful connections ... across the years, the miles, the generations.
See you all soon.
Sue
___________________
My dad, Bill Schimpf, would have loved to have celebrated 50 years with you all. Thank you to Sue Heaps Allen for reaching out to me and for posting this on my behalf.
My dad passed away almost 5 years ago this coming September of liver cancer. He lived a short life, but he made the best of it. To David D'Amato, thank you for sharing that track memory of my dad! The other day, I was working with a personal trainer, and he put up these small hurdles for me to jump over. HA! Now I know that hurdle jumping must NOT be in the Schimpf blood!
After an early tour in Vietnam and attending Syracuse University, my dad married my mom Gretchen Schulz, who was a graduate of Kenmore East, class of 1966. He spent most of his career in radiation shielding. Along with four other men, he invented and is a patent holder of the Article Transfer Inspection Apparatus, otherwise known as the X-RAY machine you now see at airports and office buildings. So the next time when you are in line checking your baggage, you can thank Bill Schimpf for helping to keep the skies and our office buildings a safer place!
He and my mom started their young adult lives in NYC and New Jersey and ended up in Tennessee, where he would live for over twenty five years. I remember the very day he came home when he announced that he ran into his high school sweetheart, Sue Heaps, at the grocery store in our little town in Tennessee! What a great coincidence!
After an early retirement and a second marriage, he enjoyed golfing, football, real estate investment, and he opened two bars and restaurants, one of which, he served Buffalo wings and beef-on-a-weck! He shared his "Yankee" Buffalo pride with Tennesseans with such great enthusiasm.
We found out he had cancer from an emergency surgery, when my dad sustained severe injuries in a near fatal car accident. We were fortunate to have him with us for almost four more years after the diagnosis. He fought hard, but eventually, the cancer took him. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, near where I live currently, in Washington, DC.
If my dad were still here, he would toast the class of 1963 with a Johnny Walker Red. He shared his high school stories with me often, and I know he kept those memories close to his heart.
Congratulations to the class of 1963 at Kenmore West!
My dad passed away almost 5 years ago this coming September of liver cancer. He lived a short life, but he made the best of it. To David D'Amato, thank you for sharing that track memory of my dad! The other day, I was working with a personal trainer, and he put up these small hurdles for me to jump over. HA! Now I know that hurdle jumping must NOT be in the Schimpf blood!
After an early tour in Vietnam and attending Syracuse University, my dad married my mom Gretchen Schulz, who was a graduate of Kenmore East, class of 1966. He spent most of his career in radiation shielding. Along with four other men, he invented and is a patent holder of the Article Transfer Inspection Apparatus, otherwise known as the X-RAY machine you now see at airports and office buildings. So the next time when you are in line checking your baggage, you can thank Bill Schimpf for helping to keep the skies and our office buildings a safer place!
He and my mom started their young adult lives in NYC and New Jersey and ended up in Tennessee, where he would live for over twenty five years. I remember the very day he came home when he announced that he ran into his high school sweetheart, Sue Heaps, at the grocery store in our little town in Tennessee! What a great coincidence!
After an early retirement and a second marriage, he enjoyed golfing, football, real estate investment, and he opened two bars and restaurants, one of which, he served Buffalo wings and beef-on-a-weck! He shared his "Yankee" Buffalo pride with Tennesseans with such great enthusiasm.
We found out he had cancer from an emergency surgery, when my dad sustained severe injuries in a near fatal car accident. We were fortunate to have him with us for almost four more years after the diagnosis. He fought hard, but eventually, the cancer took him. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, near where I live currently, in Washington, DC.
If my dad were still here, he would toast the class of 1963 with a Johnny Walker Red. He shared his high school stories with me often, and I know he kept those memories close to his heart.
Congratulations to the class of 1963 at Kenmore West!
Richard Mark Cassidy
Bill and I tore Mr. Walter's 5th grade class up at Roosevelt school ... I don't think I had more laughs with anyone before or since. In spite of our nonsense in class Mr. Walter was my inspiration to go into education.
Butch Cassidy
David D'Amato
I was very close to Bill while at Ken West. He was part of our group of guys that played sports together and hung around. I used to have many talks with Bill when we were both trying to figure out girls. If Bill was alive today, we probably both would still be trying to figure that one out.
I remember how Bill used to run around the outside of a hurdle during the hurdle race in track. He never could get his steps down correctly. But Bill would always laugh at himself and go on. He just had this sense of humor and did not take life all that seriously. He was just a real fun guy to be around and a great friend.
I will always hold a soft spot in my heart for Bill and I thank him for help making my times at Ken West as nice as I remember them to be!
Take Care My Friend
Al Schmeh
I don't believe that I could have stated it more articulately than Dave....
RIP Bill!
Susan Heaps (Allen)
I hope you guys are coming to the reunion so we can talk more about Bill.
I've lived in Murfreesboro, Tennessee since 1978 and I don't remember how many years ago it was (20+ maybe), I was in the grocery store when I heard someone call my name. Well, he didn't call my name, he called Sue Heath's name. It was Bill. Only I didn't recognize him because his swimmers body was gone and he had a moustache. But the red hair and the voice were a jolt from the past. After chastising him for not even remembering my last name, we did a little quick catching up and decided to get our families together. Imagine, high school sweethearts from Kenmore ending up in the same mid south town.
We went to his second wedding and I would run into him from time to time at Lowe's or Home Depot. I did go to his memorial service. Still can't believe he's gone.
He had a rocky life and never did figure us women out ... except for his sweet daughter, Heidi. Heide and my son Josh got to know each other in high school and Heidi referred to Josh as "her brother from another mother".
I'm glad I got to tell him I was sorry I broke his heart. It had bothered me for years.
Paul Widmayer
It is wonderful to see so many memories about Bill. He had the ability to be uniquely special to many different people, and always had a zest for life. I was fortunate to be with the group that Dave mentioned, and to know Bill from Roosevelt school through high school. We saw each other when he was home on school break, enabling us to extend memories. I lost contact with him when he moved out of town, and miss that we did not have contact.
Bill, look down and see this great number of tributes. You will always live on in many hearts.
Paul Widmayer
Susan Heaps (Allen)
Hi everyone,
I shared your posts with Bill's daughter, Heidi, because I knew your memories of her dad would mean so much to her. She, in turn, asked me to share the following with you. Wonderful connections ... across the years, the miles, the generations.
See you all soon.
Sue
___________________
My dad, Bill Schimpf, would have loved to have celebrated 50 years with you all. Thank you to Sue Heaps Allen for reaching out to me and for posting this on my behalf.
Susan Heaps (Allen)
(Sorry for the duplication ... I didn't think it showed up the first time I pasted. —Sue)