I had fallen out of contact with Bill some time ago, and now that I have learned so late of his tragic early death, I regret that all the more. 

I was a junior transfer to Georgetown. I had come to the school on the recommendation of a professor I had at the Rome Center of Liberal Arts; I had never laid eyes on the place before arriving and I didn't know a soul. I was fortunate enough to be placed in a dorm room next door to Bill in Harbin Hall. I can think of only the merest handful of people in my entire life who were as wonderful a friend as Bill was to me. We roomed together our senior year, a time of various difficulties for me, mental, emotional, financial, and Bill was my rock through all the storms that buffeted me. It is a rare and wonderful thing to have a friend who can manage the near-impossible feat of treating you with enough respect to never let you get away with anything, but who nonetheless always makes you feel that he accepts you uncritically and completely. I don't think I would have been half the man I was without learning from Bill. I was profoundly out of place at Georgetown; I was a Jew among Catholics, a midwesterner among a campus yearning to be in the eastern elite, an intellectual in the first university of the four I attended that seemed to me to pride itself on its lack of intellect and indifference to excellence. Obviously, Bill and I were very different as well, but I delighted in his company as I have in few others. I never would have survived at Georgetown had it not been for Bill's friendship. He was brilliant; he had a penetrating intellect, an endless curiosity, he was a superb writer. I remember his senior thesis on the absence of any color references other than black, white, and red in Bram Stoker's Dracula, and was startled to realize that I had simply never noticed this motif in my several readings of the novel - and Bill's analysis illuminated it and enriched it for me immeasurably. He was one of the funniest people I ever met. His outsized, raucous personality matched his impressively massive physical presence - but he was so sparkling that he seemed endlessly light on his feet, dancing rather than lumbering. I remember him in a kick line in an otherwise forgettable Calliope, kicking his big feet up over his head with military precision, putting the others in the line to shame. He was a Jersey boy through and through, and I was a Chicago boy; we both thought Washington weather was kind of a joke and laughed at those students who bundled up five months of the year. Bill wore his trench coat everywhere, and he would fling it open and hold it open, as if he were a flasher and naked underneath, when of course he was fully clothed. But when someone with a six-and-a-half foot wingspan flings open a trench coat big enough to cover a guy Bill's size, it stopped you in your tracks, and the manic grin that Bill always wore when he greeted people this way would soften into a gentle smile and a ready laugh. I learned about dozens of priceless authors, musicians, actors, playwrights, poets, comedians, and many others, from Bill; he was awesomely well-read. Among the people I might have have missed without Bill teaching me about them: Bob and Ray, Bill Hicks, Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Kaufman and Hart, Paul Muni, Rumpole of the Bailey, Pablo Neruda, Patrick O'Brian and the Aubrey-Maturin novels, David Mamet. He brought me back to reading comics, and understanding them on a far, far deeper level than I ever had before. We shared a passion for science fiction, but it would have surprised me if there were authors that I had not at least sampled that Bill had. But he did clue me in to some marvelous books I might otherwise have missed: Zelazny's Amber novels, Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat books, Keith Laumer's Retief novels, Gordon R. Dickson's Childe Cycle. What gifts, what gifts, what a vision he had, what a discerning taste in literature! 

When I arrived at Georgetown, I had been a professional actor for the previous six years or so, and I was a veteran of over eighty productions at that time. I tell you three times, I was NOTHING. I knew NOTHING. I was a much better actor after spending five minutes onstage with Bill Shapland, and I NEVER learned more about acting than I did from Bill. I gave what was undoubtedly the worst performance of my life as one of the "jury of the damned" in Mask and Bauble's production of The Devil and Daniel Webster, because I was totally transfixed by Bill's performance as Webster. He truly was exactly what Washington Post theatre critic Richard Coe called him after seeing him in William Hanley's Whisper Into My Good Ear, "the finest actor I ever saw on a college campus." (And I shared the stage with Stephen Lang in Macbeth!) I remember asking Bill to read through scenes with me when we shared our cramped apartment on Q Street a few houses away from the Potomac. None of these were assigned in any of my classes, nor were they being produced on campus. But just listening and interacting with Bill was such a thrill.  I remember reading scenes from Come Blow Your Horn, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Rhinoceros, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Coriolanus. It was like being roommates with James Gandolfini and Groucho Marx, all at the same time. It will always be a point of pride for me that Bill howled with laughter at my performance as emcee Papa Pepe Hernandez in "El Grande de Coca-Cola." He laughed so loud that at the interval, our director rushed backstage to warn us, "Don't play to Bill! Don't play to Bill! He gets it, so keep your rhythms, and he'll bring the rest of the audience with him!" That was the only decent piece of direction she ever gave, but making Bill laugh so remains a highlight of my otherwise wholly unimportant acting career. I worked with a small group of people who were raising money for the restoration of Gaston Hall and the cleaning of its famous murals; as thanks for my work, an independent theatre group I was working with was afforded the honor of reopening Gaston after a long closure. We produced three shows in repertory, and I directed Edgar Lee Masters' "Spoon River Anthology." Along with Bill Shapland, my closest friend at Georgetown was Bill Colosimo. So in the program, I dedicated the entire production to "Messrs. Shapland and Colosimo, two Bills outstanding." It was the merest gesture in return for all both these fine men had done for me, but I will never forget how moved Bill was when he saw that at opening night. I treasure my memories of Bill, and I am certain he will never be forgotten by anyone who knew him. 

Rest in peace, my old friend. Write if you get work, and hang by your thumbs.

Never knew him in real life. Just another shadowrun fan. Read all his work multiple times. After moving and becoming a Game master myself, suggested all the people interested in finding out what shadowrun was like to read his works. I only discovered his passing last week. My condolences to his family. He was a good writer, and I found all of his characters relatable in some way.

Shapcano will be greatly missed. Just read the news as i was looking for his website to read his novels once again. He was a great author. His stories were full of detail and life. Rest in peace Bill.

Where do I start?  How can I explain what a profound effect Bill had on my life?  

He was a mentor, the instigator of many an ‘ah-ha' moment… and he did it without you ever realizing it.  

Whether you knew him as Bill, or as Shapcano, William Shapland was a force to be reckoned with.  My condolences to his friends and family... and to the world for his loss.

I knew Bill as Shapcano, a Shadowrun writer. He was my first ever online friend and he taught me so much about writing and storytelling. I will miss him  very much.

Saw the news on a friends facebook. Never knew anything about Bill but reading the news and the friends memories tell it all. What a terrific man and I'm so sorry for your loss.

I did not know Bill, but do know his mother,, Millie.   Knowing her, he had to be a beautiful person.  Beyond my condolences, I offer my prayers for him and all the family.  Julie McAninley, (Florida)

To Ed and Marianne and your family:  My deepest condolences.  Just happened upon this by chance, as I was checking my dad's obit in the Washington Post (he died on April 26.)  Ed, I met your brother once when we were in college, and I remember how sincere, nice and friendly he was.

Susie Parker
New York, NY

My prayers are sent out to the entire family as you grieve the loss of you son, brother & uncle, Bill.  He will always be in your hearts.  Betty

My deepest sympathies to Dorothy, her mother and the rest of the Shapland family.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I did not know Bill personally however, I have known his sister Dorothy since high school. My family would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the entire Shapland family. Our prayers and thoughts are with you.

Billy,
Whom am I going to beat now at HAND AND FOOT? I Love you now and forever!Aunt Frieda.

I always looked up to you, Billy.  You were my other big brother.  Peace and Blessings.  'Lil' Mary

 I am so very sorry for the loss of your son, your brother and my wonderful cousin Billy. He will be so greatly missed. Anthony and I totally enjoyed seeing him each time he came to Florida. Mom loved him to pieces as she looked so forward to playing cards with him every time he came to visit. He loved teasing mom and she loved it! I have one distinct memory of Billy...it was in Hazlet and we always went to the bowling alley and we always went and bought candy. I thought it was the coolest thing back then and couldn't wait to do that everytime I came over. I will never forget those times.
 Always try and remember that you have an absolute beautiful angel looking down at each and every one of you right now. I can just see him now with Uncle Bill and my dad sitting around playing those dominos and my sister Michelle making sure that none of them are getting out of hand...yea, right! Michelle is right there with them and she is probably the biggest trouble maker of them all!
 Our deepest sympathy and our prayers and thoughts are with you all during this difficult time. We love you all, Cindy and Anthony

A very special person.  A special friend to so many.  The best of the best.  Larry Kimball

It was an honor and a blessing to have you as a friend and roommate.  LBill

Bill, you were so loved by everyone in our family and will be so terribly missed. I will miss your easy manner and wonderful laugh. I will miss your beautiful personality, which was so easy going, and always made me wish, I was more like you. 
I'm grateful for the wonderful memories that I have of you. Memories from when we were pre teens, like the time we went hunting with your Dad and Moose. And all we got to do that weekend was play games and target shoot. And a more recent memory of you was your first ride in my pickup truck when you had to visit Waco because the Hoyas had to play Baylor and your team lost (you were not happy). Dawn and I enjoyed your company so much that weekend. And after the game when I dropped you off back at the Hilton in the pickup, and few of the teammates where chuckling at the site of you exiting my truck, here in Texas. I know in my heart, that you had a wonderful time here as well.
Now you get to play Dominos with our Dad's once again. Save me a place!

OBITUARIO

William Howard Shapland

13 julio, 1955 – 26 abril, 2013

Joseph Gawler’s Sons, LLC

Muestre su apoyo

Comparta Un Recuerdo

Comparta
Un Obituario

Obtenga actualizaciones

Servicios