Tuesday, Sept. 9, is not just
another Tuesday for many
Longwood University faculty, staff and students, especially in the Communications Department.
Tuesday, Sept. 9 marked two years since the death of the beloved Communication Studies Professor Dr. Bill Stuart, affectionately known as “Dr. B.” In congruence, Tuesday is also the second annual “44 For Bill” day.
Stuart was a professor and part of the faculty at Longwood University for twelve years before his death two years ago. At the age of 44, Dr. B died from a pulmonary embolism, leaving behind his wife and two young sons.
To say Dr. B. was a great professor and valuable member of the “COMMunity,” is an understatement at best. He’s fondly remembered by countless students and colleagues for being funny and engaging, no matter what he was doing. When asked what she most loved about Dr. B, Dr. Naomi Johnson, associate professor of Communication Studies and department chair, said, “He brought a sense of energy to his teaching and work. It’s still greatly missed today.”
That statement was seconded by Executive Secretary, Lauren Irby. “As a professor, Dr. B was tremendously fun. Taking real-life application into consideration, his students had no choice but to remember the information because he would really have fun with it.”
Dr. B wasn’t just a funny professor that kept his classes entertaining; he was also one of the most compassionate men around. He was known for spending lots of his personal time with students, going out of his way to help them succeed and sometimes he would even make it a special point to meet students for lunch. Johnson remarked, “A student could go into his office with one quick question and walk out over an hour later with the rest of their life
planned out. He cared that deeply for his students.”
He really did take the time to pay attention to his students and get to know them on a more personal level. “He also had this amazing compassion and the ability to make you feel like everything would be okay… He cared so much for his colleagues and students, and everyone loved to see him approaching,” remarked Irby.
Stuart made it a point to show everyone how much he cared about them and how appreciative he was of everything they did. So what better way to remember and honor him than to do the same?
Sept. 9, 2013, a year after his death, was the first “44 For Bill” day. His wife, Amy Stuart, came up with the idea for this celebration of sorts in order to honor her husband who constantly went out of his way for others. Her goal was to enlist everyone she possibly could to do forty-four random acts of kindness throughout the day, “to be a positive force for others in his memory.”
News of this day spread like wildfire and the very first “44 For Bill” day reached at least 8,140 people, according to the Facebook group. Countless baked goods were delivered, meals were purchased and compliments given out randomly in honor of this wonderful man.
When asked what this event meant to him, his close friend, William Tucker said, “To me, it means honoring a friend. Whoever Bill came into contact with, they were treated as a friend. This gives people a chance to honor a great man, while at the same time, helping someone else and making their day a little brighter.“
And the same goes for Irby who said, “I will absolutely be participating in “44 For Bill” because it keeps his legacy alive and honors the type of person that he was. I was the benefactor of many of his random acts of kindness, so I certainly want to pay it forward to honor his memory.”
If you missed “44 For Bill” on Tuesday, don’t worry! Another “44 For Bill” day is being held on Jan. 16, in honor of Dr. B’s birthday.
Dr. Bill Stuart was a cherished member of the Longwood community and is still greatly missed by everyone who knew him. However, his legacy and love for everyone is kept alive
through all of these random acts of kindness.
Feel free to follow @44forbill on Twitter, or go to http://www. facebook.com/44ForBill, the Facebook page, to find out how you can get more involved. There is also a Longwood scholarship set up in his name.
Dr. Bill Stuart pictured above with his wife, Amy, and two sons, Colin and Keane. Java City participated in the “44 For Bill” day by spreading compliments on coffee labels as a random act of kindness.
