‘St. William’—aka church pillar Bill Gliddon—turns 80!

[Aug. 11] A standing ovation for beloved about-to-be 80 years young Bill Gliddon concluded a joint St. George’s/St. Margaret’s Sunday service to honour not only Bill’s 57 years as choir director, but his role as a pillar of the community. The congregation then adjourned to the outdoors for the birthday celebrations, joined by many others he has touched over the years in thousands of ways.

Bill with one of the young Wisos [image thanks to the Highlander]

Born and raised in Haliburton, Bill left briefly to study music, then returned to teach music locally. He continues to live in the very house he grew up in.

When the Anglican church needed a church organist, he took on the job—even though he has, he says, never taken an organ lesson in his life!

To quote from the Highlander’s article on the celebration:

Through his work with the church, Gliddon has forged hundreds of connections with people. Rev. Ken McClure said Gliddon is a pillar of the church.

Bill w Wendy Vermeersch

“If there’s somebody who’s sick, he knows about it, he visits in a heartbeat. If there’s somebody that needs to drive somewhere, Bill’s going to do it,” McClure said. “He is an example of what every one of us should be doing and being in church.”

Gliddon also practices that altruism at home. He keeps a cooler at the front of his driveway, stocked with water bottles for people passing by.

Ever-engaging Bill

“If you really follow the Christian example, you don’t think of yourself as much as you think of other people,” Gliddon said. “If you’re helping other people, it makes you happy because you’re making them happy. I think that’s the way. If the world was like that, it would be great.”

He said the event was not about him, but the whole community.

“This is what life is all about is being a family. And we are a wonderful family in this community,” Gliddon said. “We are so blessed to live in this beautiful spot.”

Hurray for Hilda

{based on article in the Echo)

Hilda Clark, seen here in 2014, died Wednesday, August 7. Her church, her family and the wider community remember her as a passionate advocate, organizer, historian and conversationalist. Besides her powerful presence within the local church, her family says she was dedicated to her nieces and nephews and their children, providing them with cultural experiences and plenty of love and attention. She was 86.

 “Hilda was a beacon of light in her community,” Teralyn Phipps wrote in her eulogy to her great-aunt delivered by Fr. Ken at her funeral last Saturday.

“She pledged her life to supporting the community of Wilberforce in so many ways. Many of us go through our entire lives wondering what our ‘purpose’ is; not Hilda. She knew her purpose. Her purpose was leadership in service of others, supporting a friend or family member in need and giving to those less fortunate.”

You can read the Echo’s entire story here.

HOPE amid the ruins

Our hearts and prayers of course go out to the people of France as the damage to the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral continues to be assessed. In the meantime HOPE of the Resurrection remains always.

Here, a picture worth a thousand words: standing tall and bathed in a late evening glow, the cross at the famed golden altar remained completely unscathed.