It’s a part of life.

When he’s not giving tours at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, he’s likely at the Winona Senior Friendship Center socializing with longtime residents.

When he’s not serving as a “book buddy” for Riverway Learning Community’s 4- to 6-year-old students, he’s raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region.

And instead of taking some time off to fish by himself, he decided instead to found the Winona chapter of Let’s Go Fishing, which provides boat outings for Winona-area seniors.

Bill’s life didn’t always revolve around volunteering.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force for eight years, Bill worked as an engineer the majority of his life, including 17 years at IBM in Rochester, time at Benchmark Electronics in Winona, and other years in Florida and Singapore. He traveled the world managing various teams that

created electronics.

But looking back over his career, Bill said, not one job brought him as much happiness as his volunteer work does today.

“It’s fun because it’s different all the time,” he said.

The first organization Bill became involved with was the Winona Senior Friendship Center. He began by spending his free time making conversation with the regulars and participating in the various activities.

Bill had always been enthusiastic about fishing, and when the center’s receptionist suggested he host a class on how to fillet a fish, he realized how many were actually interested in the sport. The simple demonstration transformed into a how-to course, and it was then Bill decided to create his own club.

“I had quite a few friends from the classes I had held and it seemed like it would be a good thing to do,” he said.

Bill’s Fishing Club allowed residents to leave the center for an afternoon and spend time outdoors. Bill taught members the basics of fishing, including how to tie a knot and what kind of bait to use, and entertained them with nature watching.

Some members spent the entire trip fishing, while others used the club as an excuse to get outdoors and absorb Winona’s environment.

When Bill discovered Let’s Go Fishing, he realized it was a perfect fit, and founded the Winona chapter.

“There were some people who have lived in Winona their entire lives and have never been on a boat,” he said. “I just want to get them out.”

Since, Bill has raised thousands of dollars, recruited hundreds of participants and hosted dozens of fishing trips. This year his goal is to arrange 100 boating or fishing trips for 1,000 guests.

Bill plans to continue volunteering in the community, sharing his knowledge and experiences to those in need.

“It’s my whole life,” he said.