Deceased August 10, 2017
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In Memory
One of our most remarkable classmates, Bill Eisen, died on Aug. 10 from a heart attack while jogging in York, Maine.
Bill was unforgettable—brilliant, quirky, empathetic, irascible, magnanimous. He had a rare quality of finding common ground for fellowship, regardless of position or status. While at Amherst, he came to know Bob, the Stone custodian who then became the unofficial Stone sage on issues of women, sex and relationships. Bill befriended campus security officers and the folks at Miss Florence’s diner, and formed lifelong relationships with several College administrators and professors. After Amherst, he befriended staff at his favorite restaurant/hotel in Boston (the “Old Ritz”) and all the townspeople in York, to name a couple of examples. His funeral attracted the wide range of people he cared about, from his clients and law firm partners to the person who passed him out jogging that morning, paying testament to the connections he constantly made.
Few will forget Bill’s rant at our 40th reunion, when he urged our class to take to the streets to protest the government’s foreign policy decisions and to use our class as the cauldron for beginning a national movement—which of course brought to mind his infamous birthday celebration and march our senior year. In fact, Bill was always preparing for our next reunion. He would arrange and pay for reserved rooms for eight classmates well before any of us had committed to attending, leaving us no option but to attend.
The center of Bill’s universe was his wife, Susan, whom he married at Johnson Chapel, and his two daughters, Emily ’05 and Kate ’12. His spirit will remain forever with those many he touched.
Rob Duboff ’70