William Edward Kingsbury

passed away in his sleep in the early hours of November 1, 2020, at 84. Bill suffered from a

progressive neurological disorder over the past nine years, which slowly decreased his ability to

do the things he loved most. Bill was a teacher, storyteller, adventurer, sailor, and family man.

His memory remains with his four children, Monica Folken, Mark Jordan, Heather Carlson,

Charles Kingsbury, and their mother, Nancy Smyrski. Bill is also survived by his sister, Barbara

Ann Eaton, and her children, John Eaton, Elizabeth Weibel, and Bill Eaton Jr. His second wife

and fellow adventurer, Francis Kingsbury, died in June 2017. Among those close to him towards

the end of his life, Kathleen Trepp has been a caring and loving companion, making his last three

years more pleasant and meaningful.

A Celebration of Life was held on November 9, 2020 at Crist Mortuary, 3395 Penrose Place -

Boulder, CO 80301. Please visit www.cristmortuary.com, where you will find a photographic

account of Bill's journey on earth with images spanning his life.

Donations in Bill’s honor can be made to the Nature Conservancy with William Kingsbury,

Boulder, CO member ID# 1011057103 as “The Person to Remember.” Please visit https://

support.nature.org/site/Donation2?15000.donation=form1&df_id=15000&resultid=7TV to make

your donation, or send checks to:

The Nature Conservancy

Attn: Treasury

4245 North Fairfax Dr. Suite 100

Arlington, VA 22203

Reference William Kingsbury, Boulder CO, #1011057103

Bill Kingsbury was born on April 9, 1936, in Buckhannon, W.V. He grew up in a house on a

hillside in Huntington, WV, that he and his father, Dr. Charles Lawrence Kingsbury, built for the

family including his sister, Barbara Ann Eaton, and mother, Tressa Bodkin Kingsbury. He spent

his youth involved in the boy scouts, which fostered his interest in nature and wilderness and

gave him the skills to pursue a life filled with outdoor adventure. When he was a bit older, he

passed many summers with his father at the family oil wells, where he was known for his

hard and free labor, referred to as the ace up his father's sleeve. These experiences provided him

with the knowhow to build or fix almost anything. As his father was a music professor, he grew

up listening to an array of classical music and continued to enjoy music throughout his life. He

bought a classical guitar while in Mexico City in the 60's and is remembered by many for the

evenings spent around campfires singing folk and camp songs. In his later years, Jimmy Buffet

was often heard drifting from his docked sailboat in WindMill Harbor marina.

After graduating high school, he did his military service and was stationed in Fontainebleau,

France, where he quickly picked up the French language. Upon returning to the US, he entered

University, majored in French and Spanish, and would go on to earn a master's degree and Ph.D.

in French literature. While in college, he was a member of the fraternal order SAE. In his long

career, Bill was a schoolteacher and university professor of French and Spanish, where his

students would lovingly refer to him as Dr. K.

What Bill will be most remembered for was his storytelling. Within five minutes of knowing

him, you would have heard at least a mini-story of some kind, though most of his stories were

the extended version rather than the short. He would give detail, change his voice at different

parts, relive the emotion, and act out his characters' roles. His storytelling style always had a

grand finale and often ended with him bursting into laughter, telling how it all had him so

"tickled."

A real family man, he freely showed love to his step-children, children, grandchildren, nephews

and nieces, and grand nephews and nieces. With his oldest grandchildren, Jordan and Ethan

Folken, he did what he had done with many friends and students before introducing them to

sailing, camping, fishing, and the great outdoors. He eagerly participated in the lives of his three

closest grandchildren, Helen, Charlotte, and Wade Carlson. In Hilton Head, he took them sailing

or to the beach, and he loved to show them off during brunch on Saturdays at the yacht club.

When he moved permanently to Boulder, CO, in 2018, he would go to their recitals, sports

practice and games, and any event in which they were involved. His youngest grandson, Jonah

Kingsbury, lives with his father, Charles Kingsbury, in Brazil. Whenever Bill and Charles would

speak, the first thing he would say was, "It's your nickel, start talking." The second thing he

would say was, "How is Jonah?" He finally met his grandson in the summer of 2019 and was so

proud to meet the last descendant to carry on the Kingsbury name.

Bill was a loving, understanding, and ever-present father. He started parenthood as a step-parent

to Mark and Monica, and through some trial and tribulation, settled into a step-family routine

with them. Bill taught Mark and Monica to swim, drive, sail, garden, have good table manners,

camp, and the wonders of travel and adventure. He often spent free time with his children, and

any alone time, "piddling around" in the garage, fixing things. A true do-it-your-selfer, he

maintained the house, cars, camper, and boat all by himself and did so with pleasure. He passed

his knowhow on to his children and nephews, helping mold their character and create wonderful

memories. Bill was forever teaching through his stories, which sums up his two true callings in

life.

His true passion, however, was sailing and any other outdoor activity. As a boy scout, he learned

the skills of rugged outdoor survival and a taste for adventure. While at the University of North

Carolina - Greensboro, he was an active leader for The Outing Club, where he took students on

outdoor excursions. He led groups on canoeing and hiking trips across the Smokey Mountains on

weekends and summer trips sailing 60-foot wooden sailboats throughout the Bahamas. When he

moved with his family to Winnipeg, Canada, in 1983, the sailing would stop, but many weekends

were spent at the lake with his children, Heather and Charles, where his love and knowledge of

the outdoors was passed on.

In his later years, once again living by the sea in Savannah, GA and Hilton Head Island, Bill was

able to take up his most beloved outdoor activity, sailing. His boat, the Lady Jane, took him all

the way to the Bahamas again, and his next boat, Checkin' Wind, was sailed weekly with Fran, as

they enjoyed their active lives at Windmill Harbor Yacht Club, where he was the Commodore of

the Fleet. He was known as Dr. Kingsbury and served dutifully and honorably at the yacht club,

christening new boats into the fleet, planning regattas, and enjoying weekly day sails with

members to neighboring islands for lunch and cocktails.

Bill lived his life fully, made life-long friendships everywhere he went, and was proud to speak

three languages fluently. He tested himself with wild adventures and encouraged others to join

him. Bill was a teacher, storyteller, family man, and outdoorsman. At the age of 76, he and a few

friends sailed the eastern coast of the USA, from South Carolina to Maine. Had it not been for

the onset of his illness, he would have surely enjoyed many more adventures with his family and

friends under his marine call sign, Bahama Bill.

Donations in Bill’s honor can be made to the Nature Conservancy with William Kingsbury, Boulder, CO member ID# 1011057103 as “The Person to Remember.” Please visit https://support.nature.org/site/Donation2?15000.donation=form1&df_id=15000&resultid=7TV to make your donation online, or send checks to:

The Nature Conservancy

Attn: Treasury

4245 North Fairfax Dr. Suite 100

Arlington, VA 22203

Reference William Kingsbury, Boulder CO, #1011057103