William McCormack

Bill was a real character! I used to work with him back in the day! Always game for a laugh and full of energy. I was shocked to hear of his passing. May he rest in peace.
My sincere condolences to his family.

Chris

Wonderful man. Rest in beautiful paradise.

Bill was a very complex and difficult person to figure out but he shined on and motivated many people he knew to keep on going no matter what. From the other Bill from mass. I wish the very best to his wife and kids.

Dear Bill,

It´s hard to believe you are gone. Each time I walk along the river towards Tree House English Studio, like I did almost every week over many years, it feels like I will see you outside watering your small garden or feeding the hungry seagulls flying in from the Port of Yokohama.

Inside, the Studio was small and cozy----just like the treehouse you built as a kid in the forest behind your home, you said----with your special coffee quietly brewing in the corner.

While sitting in the Tree House and looking over the river, we spent countless hours discussing the etymology of funny English idioms, how the pronunciation of the "n" sound is totally different in English and Japanese, why all the jokes from the movie "Airplane!" are incredibly funny and yet incredibly hard to understand for many Japanese people, and why you were not happy with the current American society but still loved your country.

Teaching English might not have been the career you envisioned for yourself as a boy, but you were a great language teacher nonetheless. You were always eager to help me with my challenges while learning English, answered my endless waves of questions in the best possible ways, and never got tired of talking about the language itself (as well as everything involving it).

Thank you for all the lessons, for all the help and inspirations you gave me, and, above all, for sharing the love of the English language. I´m sure that many of your students agree with my feelings of gratitude.

So long, Bill.
May your soul fly back to your beloved forests of New England.

Izumi

Hanging out at the Tree House.