If you step onto the Seed playground and find yourself in awe of the trees and friendly play spaces that invite children to engage with nature, you can thank Bill Glover for his vision of possibilities. When we moved to our current location in 1999, the playground was a treeless piece of flat dirt. Until this last year when he retired, Bill was not only the visionary, but the guardian and caretaker of our beloved playground. In addition to his work throughout the week, he spent every Saturday trimming trees, tending the grass, and keeping our facility safe and inviting. The lives and imaginations of generations of children have been deeply influenced by Bill’s work. In fact, the Seed would not have manifested as it has without his presence.
Earlier in his life, Bill was a construction manager. After two years in our family home, we moved the school to a small church in 1979, and to then to various other locations that required remodeling over the years. Bill took on school responsibilities in addition to his regular job, working pro bono to keep the school’s physical spaces in order. In 1987, when our current business manager decided to move, Bill took over the position “for a couple of weeks” until we found a permanent new business and facilities manager. He remained in that position until 2019, when he handed over his business manager responsibilities. Bill continued with his facilities work until January of this year.
Bill could have done any number of things with his life besides working for the Seed. Over the years he’s considered himself the school’s butler, serving in whatever way is needed. I am personally grateful that he made the choice he did to support Awakening Seed’s vision. So many of the school’s wonderful aspects are a direct manifestation of Bill’s presence for nearly 50 years. It’s quite a legacy.
In honor of his 80th birthday and his retirement, we’re holding a celebration at the Seed for Bill on Friday, November 7, from 3:30-5:30pm. Please plan to join us if you can, and/or send him a card. We’re asking people to bring a story to tell about Bill, since he prides himself as a storyteller. If you can’t make it and want to participate in celebrating Bill, you may send an email to me at mary@awakeningseedschool.org. We’ve also set up a tree fund in Bill’s honor, since he has been our keeper of the trees over the years. His spirit will linger in those trees, spreading light and love to future generations of Seeds. Thanks, Bill.
