1983

This month's column is dedicated to Will Shue, who died last summer. Will once said to his father, "You feel as if everyone should write a book before they die, but their book is already written. The pages are within others they've touched." Some of his classmates share their memories of him here:

"Whether as a biology student, Alpha Delta house manager, UGC rep, or soccer letterman, Will never gave less than 110 percent. Boyish, smiling, in clothes that were two sizes too big, impetuous streaks, übiquitous sambas, Skoal, Dartmouth jacket, and loyalty to his friends—Will was fall of life. His favorite moments were the quiet retreats to his favorite fishing hole along a secluded section of the Connecticut River. It was places like this where Will gathered resolve that became the backbone of his strong character.

"After Dartmouth, Will took to New York City to pursue premed studies. At Rutgers Medical School, Will drove himself very hard, but was always eager to accompany me when the wilderness beckoned. Picture Will waiting on the corner of 53 rd and Eighth Avenue in his loafers, baggy soccer shorts, wrinkled Brooks Brothers shirt, a fishing rod, his beagle Jake, and knapsack filled with lures, oldies tapes, and a Dartmouth sweatshirt. I remember Will at the tiller of our sailboat laughing in the spray with a huge dip dripping down his chin, boney legs, Wayfarer shades, enjoying life to the fullest. Will, thanks for this perspective on life most of all. This summer when the fish are biting, I am going to miss you even more." (Reed Webster)

"On the soccer field: raw unbridled energy . .. always running . . . arms pumping, legs flailing . . . determination and hard work . . . commitment to the program . . . so serious .. . freshman success .. . struggling as a sophomore and junior . . . hating to sit on the bench ... playing his best ball as a senior ... a true team player ... a great teammate.

"Off the field: shy, quiet, loyal ... the best type of friend .. . honoring his commitments ... taking responsibility to heart . .. the dictionary description of house manager . . . family man . . . closet student . .. future doctor . . . always, all ways a success ... and so much more." (Geordie Lunt)

"The woodshop in Hopkins Center is a place where rough pieces of wood are carefully crafted into items of both practical value and intrinsic beauty. Often, in the midst of the flurry from the sawdust and the din of the equipment, friendships also gain form and substance. The warmth of Will was evident in the care he put into a cheriy nightstand he built one spring. He built it, he said, to give him something that reminded him of "home." Now, whenever I look at a piece of fine cherry furniture, I am reminded me of Wilbur." (Bill Scoville)

"On the first day of freshman soccer practice, when we scrimmaged the varsity, Will and I were at the top of our games, continually passing the ball between us and generating numerous scoring opportunities. Will's effort that day summed up his approach to life. Throughout Dartmouth, I witnessed the same intensity and enthusiasm towards everything he attempted. His determination was the attribute I admired most in him and the factor that led him to the constant realization of his goals in what was all too short a life." (David Hartzell)

"No one was more dedicated to our fraternity. Whenever I went to the house, Wilbur was there, hammer in hand, replacing a broken pane of glass, or rebuilding the sundeck. Once, in between preseason doubles workouts, I spotted Will making his last turn with a lawn mower on the fraternity's front lawn." (Ric Bucher)

"I used to wonder why Will never got bored of fishing. Will was always ready to try one more spot, long after I had coneluded there were no fish within miles. Maybe it was just that he loved the woods so much that he'd do anything that would keep him there for hours on end. On the other hand, maybe Will never got bored because fishing was a chance to act out a piece of his fantasy—to live alone in die woods on nothing but his own skill and determination. The fantasy was inspired by the book My Side of the Mountain, which he read when he was a kid. He even raised a baby hawk one summer a few years ago, just like a boy in the book.

"Optimism was a bug he caught from his family, I think, but he didn't grow out of it the way most people do. "There's just gotta be fish in here somewhere," he'd tell me when I was ready to quit. "That's what you said about the last spot," I'd say. "Yeah, but this time I just know there's fish in here," he'd reply with his grin. How could I refuse? Wilbur, I'll miss you something awful." (Peter Hussey)

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