Unable to Retire from Giving | Bill Moreau ’76

Retired faculty, Bill Moreau ’76, is working to give back to the student body of Hope College.

Bill didn’t know what he wanted to do after college but was always sure about one thing: helping people. He taught at Hamilton High School at the same time he was teaching at Hope. Simultaneously teaching secondary and higher education was a unique experience. However, he says it is exactly what he needed to be doing at the time. He highly values the relationships, which he referred to as “friendships,” he has cultivated with students.

During his teaching years at Hope, Bill taught sections of English 113 and Senior Seminar. He loves that he would see students in his Senior Seminar who took his English 113 course as freshmen. It was a heartwarming full-circle moment. Getting to know people through writing was important for him to do as a professor. “Hope students are interested in doing well and want to do a good job,” he said. This translated not only to just words on a page but through actions and campus involvement. He wanted students to know that he was invested in them not just as students but as young people.

He has lived up to his expectations as he has received yearbook dedications and has been invited to deliver the commencement address a few times at Hamilton. Those personal achievements are what he recalls as some of the most notable awards from his career. His impact on students has also gone global as he was a participant in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange which resulted in him teaching in England for a year. From there, he continued this legacy by sending high school students to the United Kingdom and hosting students here in Holland.

Given his extensive career, it is no wonder that he has not been able to say a final goodbye to campus. “I wasn’t great at retirement,” he said. “I missed Hope students.” In his free time, Bill is back on campus working in Print and Mail as a route driver. Occasionally he will run into students, faculty and staff. This experience has allowed him to see how invaluable staff services are. Kim, Kristi, Madison and all of the other campus support staff work hard behind the scenes to make the campus run. He has the utmost gratitude for them and their commitment to the college. It makes his role as a route driver all the more worthwhile.

Bill may have become a route driver because he wasn’t great at retirement, but it goes beyond that. Bill and his wife made the decision that 100 percent of his paycheck while working in Print and Mail gets donated back to Hope Forward. He doesn’t do this so he can be recognized for his efforts. In fact, he would rather keep this information behind a curtain never to be acknowledged. The reason he is willing to share his contribution to Hope Forward is because it encourages people to give in a unique way.

He always thought that education was too costly, but he never knew what to do. With Hope Forward he sees an idea that can work and is willing to contribute to it. Hope Forward allows students to become a part of a healthy society. “The real world is being represented on this campus through Hope Forward,” he explained.

Bill sees Hope Forward as something people need to be putting on their list of things to give to. If everyone can make a small contribution, it will add up to be big and make a difference. “If it inspires people, then it’s worth it,” he said. Giving to Hope Forward is to help the world that Hope grads enter into. It is a way to give Hope to the world.