On November 23, William Menezes, longtime resident of Dummerston [Vermont], passed away at the age of 80. Born on October 20, 1938 in Gilroy, California, Bill was the only child of Manuel S. Menezes and Louise C. Noya. He graduated from Salesian Junior Seminary in 1956, earned a BA from St. Mary's College in 1961, then enlisted in the Army in 1962 and completed Army Language School in Russian in 1963 and served for three years as a cryptographer in Germany. Bill moved from California to Turners Falls, MA in 1969. He worked for 12 years in the theater department at UMass-Amherst where he also completed the MFA program in 1973. In 1986, he moved to Dummerston where he remained until 2015 when he moved to San Pedro, Belize. There he spent his remaining years enjoying the warmth of the tropics and the companionship of the island community.
Theater was one of Bill’s great passions. His devotion to the stage began during Army service in Europe where he and his buddies produced versions of the classics. Later, Bill returned to San Francisco where he founded the New Stage. After moving to Massachusetts he became manager of the Brattleboro Center for Performing Arts in 1973 and also wrote theater reviews for The Reformer. The final 24 years of Bill's rich career was devoted to Keene State College where he served as the Director of the Redfern Arts Center for 13 years.
Bill was deeply devoted to his parents and proud of his Azorean Portuguese roots. One of his more memorable trips abroad was to the island of Pico, the birthplace of his father. He often spoke affectionately of his parents and extended family members. Bill was also a sports aficionado and played basketball well into his 70s. He loved gardening at his home by the river on Camp Arden Road where he would host wonderful barbeques.
Quietly and in countless ways, Bill contributed to the needs of the communities in which he lived. If the measure of a person’s life is how much good and kindness he brings to the world, then Bill Menezes’ life was an unqualified success. A celebration of his life will be held in the spring. Bill was a cat lover and provided homes to many and so donations in his name can be made to the Windham County Humane Society (802-254-2232).