William Allan Speiser Sr.

I would always look for Bill at Healthtrax. We had lots to talk about whether it was politics, health, the weather or the state of the gym.
He always had a smile and a positive attitude even when he was facing a battle with cancer. I kept hoping he would beat it and was encouraged to see him exercise despite his having lost so much weight after undergoing treatments. Sadly I only learned of his death today - not having the correct spelling of his name until now. I kept looking for him at his usual stationary bike but to no avail. I always looked forward to seeing him there but now will remember him for the great person he was.

Mr. Speiser was my senior AP English teacher at West Milford High School. While English was not my forte (I ended up teaching Mathematics in West Milford High School from 1973-2010), Mr. Speiser managed to spark an interest and talent for writing that I never imagined was in me. I scored a 4 on the AP English Comp exam in my senior year. I can count (on one hand) the teachers who influenced my decision to become a teacher. William Speiser was one of them.