William Hazen English
March 29, 1929 - August 9, 2016

"Mr. English was WCBVI'S last great superintendent and a wonderful friend to everyone."

"From Richard Ortiz, class of 1980 My memory is of graduation day: Mr. English told my parents, "You'll save money on the food bill because he broke our food budget.""

"I met Bill and Janet when they moved to Middleton after Bill's retirement. Lucky to have met such great friends and neighbors! To say that they made our little condominium community a better place would be an understatement. They were always there with a helping hand or some good advice when needed. And they were the "founders" of a little birthday club. If it was your birthday Bill was ready to go out for a group dinner - preferably Prime Rib - and Janet always made your favorite cake for dessert. Have a food allergy? No worries. Janet would bake TWO cakes! And Bill happily would tell us how lucky he was to have married such a great cook! One cannot feel sad for Bill as he is now with his beloved Janet who he missed so very much. For those of us who are left behind, there are wonderful memories of two amazing people who will be missed. "

"On behalf of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, I am sending my heartfelt condolences to Bill's family and friends. The contributions that he made to our field will be felt for many years. He was a beautiful soul who fought without hesitation to make lives better for others. He will be greatly missed. Lou Tutt "

"I was a student at WSVH while Mr. English was Superintendent. He made a point of not only knowing each student by name, he also knew something unique about each and every one of us. Now that I have worked in the field of special education, I realize how rare and special that really was. To this day, One of my favorite forms of physical activity is swimming. When I was a student, I learned to swim in the pool that Mr. English advocated to build when he first came to WSVH. This pool is, most appropriately, named the English Channel. Mr. English knew that physical activity for students who were blind is just as important as anything we did in the classroom. I remember him traveling with us to swim meets, even when they were hundreds of miles away. When I graduated from WSVH, Mr. English was our guest speaker. One of the things he told us in that speech was to keep a suitcase of memories and let those memories guide the decisions you make throughout your life. Mr. English, your memory will always occupy a special corner of my suitcase and your words and actions will continue to be an inspiration in every aspect of my life."

"I have fond memories of Mr. English. He was the first superintendent I worked under at WSVH, now WCBVI. He truly cared about all staff and students Having a personal connection with all. Truly a great man who will be missed."

"Bill English touched many lives at WSVH. Such a kind caring amazing man. Truly one of a kind. Miss Jacque"

"My heart goes out to Betsy and family. Bill was a wonderful neighbor and friend. He and Janet were such welcoming neighbors when I moved to the condo--I will always remember them both with great fondness. So sad for you, but so thankful he and Janet are together again. Peace be with you. "

"Dear Betsy and family, Your Dad was an amazing man for many reasons, and he genually cared for all of the students at WSVH. Go rest high upon that mountain Mr. E."

"Betsy and Girls,Our sincere sympathy to you in the loss of your father and grandfather. How inspiring to have worked with and cared for visually impaired children for all those many years. You have had a sad and busy year so far. Maybe now you can rest and reflect on all the good memories of family life with your parents. May they both rest in peace with the Lord."

"Mr. English was always a gentleman, it seemed to me, and he was a role model who inspired me for many years. He will be missed by many, I know."