William M. Sindlinger, recently of Tappahannock, Va., born on March 16, 1923, died January 22, 2007. He received his B.S. from Randolph-Macon and his master's from UVA. He was an Eagle Scout, a veteran of World War II, and served two terms as president of the Lion's Club. Married for 35 years, he is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his children, Donna (Chuck), Johnny (Debbie), Pat (Mary Jo), Michael (Theresa), and Jimmy (Cathy). To his 12 grandchildren and four, soon to be five, great-grandchildren, he was "Big Daddy," and to hundreds of Meadowbrook students, he was "Uncle Bill." He will be remembered for his laughter, love, and long talks on the porch at the "RIVAH," teaching us the importance of education, laughter in one's life, loving one another unconditionally, and having God in your life everyday.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 25 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Bliley Funeral Home's Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Rd., and where a celebration of his life will be held on Friday at 12 noon. Interment to follow at Dale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Heart Association. Online registry available at BlileyFuneralHomes.com.

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William M. “Bill” Sindlinger

William M. Sindlinger, recently of Tappahannock, Va., born on March 16, 1923, died January 22, 2007.
He received his B.S. from Randolph-Macon and his master's from UVA. He was an Eagle Scout, a veteran of World War II, and served two terms as president of the Lion's Club.
Bill was married for 35 years; his wife, Phyllis; his children, Donna (Chuck), Johnny (Debbie), Pat (Mary Jo), Michael (Theresa), and Jimmy (Cathy) survive him. To his 12 grandchildren and 4, soon to be five, great-grandchildren, he was "Big Daddy," and to hundreds of Meadowbrook students, he was "Uncle Bill." He will be remembered for his laughter, love, and long talks on the porch at the "RIVAH," teaching us the importance of education, laughter in one's life, loving one another unconditionally, and having God in your life everyday. Visitation was held on Thursday, January 25 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Bliley Funeral Home's Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Rd., and a celebration of his life was held on Friday at 12 noon. Interment followed at Dale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Heart Association.
Thanks to Janie Norris for forwarding a clipping that ran in the Richmond Times Dispatch in 1986 when Mr. Sindlinger retired from Meadowbrook High School. The Clipping sounds like he did not change much after he left Cradock.

MORALIZING IS A MISTAKE, COUNSELOR SAYS
Richmond Times-Dispatch; June 19, 1986
Author: Pamela J. Podger; Times-Dispatch staff writer
An open door invites Meadowbrook High School students into the guidance office of "Uncle Bill," who initiated the counseling program there 23 years ago. Known more formally as William Sindlinger, "Uncle Bill" has a forehead that resembles a parched mud basin, cracking along fault lines whenever he lifts his eyebrows. But, few surprises remain for him after his encounters with severely depressed, alcoholic and truant students at Meadowbrook or during his 12 years of teaching in the Portsmouth school system at Cradock High School. Saying he has never met a student he did not like, he waits for a mutual rapport to arise.
Moralizing to students is a mistake, said Sindlinger, who said he will repeat a student's swear words if it furthers their conversation. "When you start moralizing with kids you'll turn them off and lose them if you're not careful," he said. "Adults get uptight about certain words -- but it's communicating, so I encourage them." Sindlinger, 63, is retiring June 30.
Besides being a counselor, he is the high school's sports announcer, the same job he held as Cradock’s football announcer for many years. Class bells or the pages of a textbook don’t measure teaching for him. "I once thumbed a ride on a milk truck to talk to a boy who was threatening suicide. His parents called me, all upset. They said he was behind a door with a gun and wouldn't come out," Sindlinger said. He persuaded the boy to hand over the weapon and later arranged for professional help. A large man with unpretentious charm, Sindlinger said his adage is caring. He grows pensive and runs a hand over his slicked-back hair.
"You've got to listen to students with your ears, but respond with your maturity. This will lead them to their own solution," he said. "Children are children, groping for identity and trying to find a sense of reality in the pattern in which they are living." Adults may take recourse in the support of their church or professional counseling centers. The alienation and vulnerability of high school students require special care, and Sindlinger said having someone to talk to is crucial. "High school students need more help than a child in the cradle. Beyond the diapers and bottles, they have to learn how to cope in a world which is so much with them," he said. "You may be disheartened and you're not always successful, but you know you've tried."
Sindlinger wants his personal credo to outlive him or be inscribed on his tombstone. "When I go to the Happy Hunting grounds, I don't care if there are no dates or nothing. I just want it to say: `He lived so others might live.' " A recipient of a bachelor's degree from Randolph-Macon College, Sindlinger is a lifelong student who has continued his education at the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, Columbia University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He also has been active in more civic organizations than he can count -- the Boy Scouts, the Optimists Club, the Lions Club, to name a few. Retirement holds the promise of quiet afternoons in a cottage alongside the Rappahannock River, where he and his wife, Phyllis, will craft grapevine wreaths and watercolor paintings. "If Grandma Moses made a fortune with paintings at her age, then maybe I can, too" he said.