William D. "Bill" Haselden

William D. "Bill" Haselden Was born in 1917 in Cloverdale, CA. He died in Petaluma, CA on March 31, 2006 at the age of 88. Bill lived out his passions for teaching, languages, and travel. After graduating from Stanford, he earned a credential at UC Berkeley and began his teaching career in 1940 at Sonoma Valley Union HS. Bill was a Naval Officer in Europe during WWII. He met his wife, Jean, in Washington, DC. They married in 1946 and moved to California where he resumed his teaching career in Burlingame, later in Napa, and at Piedmont Junior and Senior High Schools in 1950. He taught French and German in Piedmont from 1950-1973. After retiring, Bill started a wide-ranging second career teaching English to adults, from doctors in Japan to Navy sailors on shipboard in the Persian Gulf. He was able to continue his world travels, using the many languages he loved, taking and leading tours, and acting as host on many international cruises. Bill enjoyed living in Cloverdale again for the last 15 years of his life. With his beloved friend, Viola Groves, he was active in the United Church of Cloverdale where his father had been a minister, the Cloverdale Senior Center, and the Cloverdale Historical Society. He is survived by his two loving daughters, Nancy Olsen of Piedmont, CA (son-in-law, Lawrence Olsen), and Julie Haselden of El Sobrante, CA; granddaughters, Karen Donovan of San Diego, CA (Michael Donovan), Amy Haessly of Vista, CA (Justin Haessly), and Erica Agyeman of Oakland, CA (Michael Agyeman); niece, Dixiana Grimes and family of Denver, CO; nephew, George Richard Ackerman; his beloved friend Viola Groves of Cloverdale, CA and many others from around the globe who will dearly miss him. The Bay Area Memorial Service will be at Piedmont Community Church, 400 Highland Ave., on Sat., April 29 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to: Piedmont Adult School, 800 Magnolia Ave., Piedmont, CA 94611 in support of the "Let's Speak French" program for older adults.