By Margaret Gurney –
On the eve of the John W. Harris’s presentation on Kipling, Henry James introduced members of the Dublin Historical Society to the audience, and said of Bill Goodwin: “Half the town would probably close down if Bill stopped doing what he does.” We all laughed.
Bill is treasurer of the Dublin Historical Society. He is chair of the Dublin Public Library Trustees and he is chair of the Dublin Trustees of Trust Funds. He is treasurer of The Dublin Advocate. He is Trustees Chair of theDublinCommunityChurch. He serves on the Dublin Planning Board. And those are the ones I know of off the top of my head.
Out of town, Bill is treasurer of the Peterborough Folk Music Society, and of the Grand Monadnock Youth Choir. He will be campaign chair for 2013 for theMonadnock United Wayand he serves as chair for the Community Advisory Council of theCheshireMedicalCenter/ Dartmouth-Hitchcock – Keene.
I also know that Bill enjoys playing tennis. He is an active member at the Monadnock Indoor Tennis Club inPeterboroughand plays during the summer at the Dublin Lake Club.
But this wise man’s volunteerism doesn’t stop there. Bill is instrumental in organizing “stuff” for theDublinCommunityChurch’s now-famous biannual rummage sales. He attends all the Peterborough Folk Music Society’s shows. And he even helps the Monadnock Rotary Club when nobody’s looking.
A former mechanical engineer, Bill retired from NHBB inPeterboroughin 2006. He lives onWindmill Hill Roadwith his partner Barbara Summers, who is the Music Director at theDublinCommunityChurch. They are blessed with grandchildren living with them for much of each summer. Bill has daughters inColoradoandMaineand a son inSomersworth,NH.
When asked why Bill does all that he does, he answered modestly, “I feel that I can make a contribution to these organizations, and currently have the time available to do it, but eventually I need to learn how to say no.”
Margaret Gurney is editor of the Advocate.