Bill Hensley:
CLASS OF 1969
Beavercreek High SchoolClass of 1969
Beavercreek, OH
Texas A&M UniversityClass of 1973
College station, TX
San Antonio CollegeClass of 1971
San antonio, TX
Surrattsville Middle SchoolClass of 1966
Clinton, MD
Crestview Elementary SchoolClass of 1963
Lompoc, CA
Bill's Story
Life
I graduated from Beavercreek in 1969 and moved to San Antonio, TX that summer when dad retired. I almost attended our 30th reunion, but opted to attend chess buddy Kirby Hughes' wedding in Colorado instead when I contacted him about our reunion. Karl Kimble also came to that wedding with his family.
The first two years after moving here, I attended San Antonio College and learned I love to design. This gave me time to psychologically establish San Antonio as my home. I received a Bachelor of Environmental Design in 1973 and Master of Architecture in 1975 from Texas A&M. I did really well there and credit the foundation I received at Beavercreek for that, along with becoming really inspired by my love of design. I've always been able to draw whatever I wanted to, but had never really tried design before. In graduate school I taught perspective drawing and loved joking around with and inspiring my freshmen students to see the world in a whole new way.
Since college, I have enjoyed having San Antonio as my home instead of moving every 3 years like I did growing up an air force brat.
I was born in Munich, Germany late in the post war occupation. We moved to Dayton, Ohio and Fort Worth before school age. I remember at age 3 lifting my foot from rich green St. Augustine grass in Ft. Worth to move to Altus, Oklahoma where I stepped out onto a red dirt yard. At 5 we moved to Abilene Texas and at 8 to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California where classes in Crestview Elementary would be interrupted by the sound of nonending thunder so we would run outside to watch Minuteman missils blasting off. We moved to Washington DC where I skipped briefly into the 6th grade, then entered Surrattsville Jr. High (7,8,9)when we moved onto Andrews AFB in Washington DC. I attended Senior High at Beavercreek (10,11,12)- so I never had to be a freshman until college.
I felt like I left friends behind every time I moved and now would like to know how their lives have played out... such as Dale, Jim, Gary, Paul, Linda, Donna... at Beavercreek. ...Expand for more
I hoped to attend our 40th reunion next year and encourage other friends to come too. I came.
I'm one of the City Architects in San Antonio, married since April 1, 1979. to pianist Patrice, who's father had the same name as mine and was the crime busting District Attorney of SA after WW II. Our daughter Victoria is a college junior and son Will is a musician and works as a sound engineer in NYC. His name is listed on the latest Cold Play albums and John Mayer's latest grammy winning album. My family have made my life complete.
I still paint, draw and improvise music on piano and guitar. When I travel to Europe I shoot hundreds of pictures as potential subjects for paintings. A Toastmaster since 1985, I now occasionally speak professionally, sometimes doing musical book reviews- so I'm not as quiet as I used to be. Years ago before my children were born I played a lot of church and architect league basketball and softball. I liked it enough, but not so much that I wore out my knees doing it, so I still can. I've made up for not doing some of the things I should have in school- like athletics, drama and singing. I've learned it's never too late to pursue your bliss. Humor helps to keep life from being grim for myself and those around me.
I often wonder what came of my previous teachers. Mrs. Van Ausdale who helped my realize my love of writing. Miss Petrie who succeeded Mrs. Van Ausdale in sponsoring the chess team. My geometry teacher, Mrs. Wakefield, who used to think I studied hard. I just had a knack for it from years of drawing and games playing. Mr. Kidd who mixed corny jokes with college math. Miss Vincent who let me do whatever I wanted in art. When I drove back to Dayton after grad school for a visit, I found her so I obtained one signature in my "Beaver Tales '69" annual.
In college I learned a lot from my studies, but realized you learn at least as much from the people you encounter. As such, I am a lifetime learner and wonder how the rest of my friends, and should have been friends, have continued to grow up.
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