Bill Taylor (1966-2013), born William Herald Taylor in August 1966, and later William Taylor-Suderman, and known as Billy to his friends, had a lot of names and a lot of adventures in his life. His family moved from Idaho to Twain Harte where Bill and his younger brother Sean attended Twain Harte Elementary.

Bill began his busy life at Summerville High in the fall of 1980. He was active from the start, taking challenging classes, running cross country and track, participating in band, student government, Academic Decathlon and other activities. To each he brought a smile and his sense of humor, in each he made more friends. He was truly dedicated in a positive fashion to student life at Summerville High.

During what would have been his senior year, Bill attended school as an exchange student in Honduras, where he enjoyed a wonderful life near the sea with a welcoming family. Honduras gave him a love of languages (he became bilingual with his newly fluent Spanish) and a yen to travel.

He returned to Summerville to complete his fourth year, graduating as an enthusiastic member the class of ’85.

For the next two years he attended the University of California at Santa Cruz, and then again grabbed the opportunity to study abroad, this time at the University of Bordeaux in France where he became fluent in his third language, taking all of his classes and writing all of his work in French, majoring in Art History. He completed his formal education in Paris, earning his PhD at the Sorbonne-St. Charles. He taught college classes and enjoyed Parisian life on the streets, working in the Musee d’ Orsay and from his sixth storey walk-up apartment with its view of the Eiffel Tower.

Becky Boutin, one of his SHS high school friends remembers, “I went to visit him in Bordeaux where he lived in a beautiful apartment in a large country home. He showed me around the area visiting wineries, small villages and biking along the coast. Years later I returned for a visit with my husband to Bill’s new home in Paris. He made sure that we saw and tasted all the marvels of Paris. And then he arranged stays in some bed and breakfast inns for us in the Loire Valley where many castles are located.”

The next chapter in his life took place in Puerto Rico where he again taught college Art History, but this time teaching Art History in Spanish, English, and French, changing languages from hour to hour.

In 2002, Bill was called to yet further challenges. He moved to New York City where he lived for 11 years and taught at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens. He also found employment as a ferry boat attendant, art gallery curator, and hospice counselor. He also worked as a volunteer, mentoring members of the LGBTQ community. He was an active member of the Unitarian Church of Staten Island.

While he died as a young man of 46, Bill contributed a joy for learning, life, laughter, and his friendship to all those he met at Summerville and around the world.