9/26/2007

The Renaissance Man of Ocean Pines
By Jeff Pivec

Bill DeColigny

Webster's dictionary defines the term 'renaissance man' as someone who has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences. From the football gridiron to the classroom, from the garden to the studio, Bill DeColigny has done it all and is certainly deserving of this moniker. 

Bill's story began in Richmond, VA, where he played football, basketball and ran track for a private school, setting records and drawing attention. A family friend began talking to Bill about the benefits of attending Trinity College in Connecticut and even took him there for his first visit. That was enough for Bill.

The football coach at Trinity was also very happy to see this six feet, three inch 220 pound young man arrive on campus in the late summer of 1956.  For the next four years Bill played offense and defense for 60 minutes of every football game and set new school records for discus and shot.

But while sports played a major role in Bill's collegiate life, he had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and always made room for his scholastic endeavors. He graduated in 1960 with degrees in art and English and valuable experience gained from participation in student government, skills that would continue on later in his life.

Also graduating that year from Trinity was a football teammate of Bill's by the name of Roger LeClerc. "He was real good," commented Bill, "and George Hallas of the Chicago Bears was hot on his trail. So when they watched Roger's game clips they wanted to know who the other big fella was playing next to him on the line of scrimmage. Well, that was me and eventually they invited me to training camp along with Roger."

When Bill got to camp though, being a wide-eyed rookie and just plain excited to be there, he asked for number 77. "Well they just looked at me like I had four heads," recalled Bill. "They told me that was Red Grange's number and nobody could have it. Well that was fine with me, so I just took 68." 

"As the season got closer, more veteran defensive linemen showed up, which was my position, so the Bears wanted me to play Canadian Football to learn the offensive guard position," recalls Bill. "So off I went to Saskatchewan to play for the Roughriders. That was a great experience and it is something I really was excited to do." But in the back of Bill's mind there was another type of excitement brewing.

"I had a contract to play for the Bears in one hand and a Ford Foundation grant to attend a master's program at Duke University in the other. I chose the latter, and the rest is history," said Bill.   

"That was a pretty exciting time in my life, and to make it even more thrilling, I asked Margie to be my bride," Bill said with a smile on his face. "So off we went to Duke for my masters and Margie's bachelors."

Upstate New York was the next stop for the newlyweds. Bill got a job in the admissions office at Syracuse University and began work on his PhD in higher education administration and with the help of Margie, also began working on a family.

Eight years later it was time to hit the road again. With his new family and degree in hand, the DeColignys arrived in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands where Dr. Bill began his headmaster position at a new prep school there. "That was paradise," stated Bill, "and we did a lot of great work there in five years. But all things change and it was time to come back to the states."

Bill accepted an offer from the University of Delaware and became the Assistant Dean of the College of Education. After seven years there and a few more in Charlottesville, Bill and Margie finally arrived in Ocean Pines, where they had purchased property years before.

"I remember the huge tents that the salesmen worked out of," said Bill. "They would show you a lot on a map and then drive you around in their Cadillac, hop out of the car and walk the muddy boundaries of the property. Then, they expected you to buy it on the spot. I eventually bought a lot, but not as quickly as they would have liked.

 "We moved to Ocean Pines and Margie began a career in real estate and I pursued my love for landscaping, working my own business for about seven years," said Bill. "I really loved to plant sycamore trees here, because you could plant them and they would not debate you about being planted, as school boards would."

Bill finally retired a few years back after one more teaching position at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore campus and life has come full circle for him. "I wanted to get back to my love of art and actually start painting again," said Bill. "So Margie and I built this house on the bay and made a studio upstairs where I can paint and pursue my love for art." 

Early next year Bill will have an exhibition of his work at the Ocean Pines library. He uses water colors, wood etchings and other media to create truly amazing pieces and his show should not be missed.

Named after the Admiral of France of the 16th century, William Gaspard DeColigny is truly a Renaissance man of the 21st century, living right here in Ocean Pines.