William H. Kaplan

1947 - 2021

William H. Kaplan
March 24, 1947 to October 24, 2021
William (Bill) Kaplan passed away October 24, 2021 from pancreatic cancer at Connecticut Hospice, surrounded by family, friends and love. Bill was born in 1947 in New York and grew up in Mexico City, where he always loved to travel.
Bill attended Lake Forest College in Illinois, earning a philosophy degree. In 1966 he met his love and future wife, Lise. The two married in 1969 and embraced a life of family, friends, travel, and activism. Bill was a lifelong learner, poet and philosopher with unending patience and curiosity – from spiders to dump trucks, he always found something to fascinate. He was a wonderful father and grandfather, and also a fabulous educator; first as a teacher of young children, then as headmaster of Wightwood School (1986-1995), a principal, and a teacher of teachers.
Bill was a renaissance man – he could play any instrument, write a five-stanza love poem that made everybody cry, build a deck and sail a boat, play guitar in a bluegrass group, and run a half-marathon in his 70s. Whatever he did, he made friends along the way.
Bill's passing creates a huge hole in our lives. Bill leaves his wife of 52 years, Lise Dondy; his daughters, Polly Dondy-Kaplan and Hannah Dondy-Kaplan; his sons-in-law David Gaskell and Adam Bartini; his two grandchildren, Simon and Emmett, for whom he had unending love and awe; his brother and sister Paul Kaplan and Susan Kaplan; and the many friends he made throughout his life. While the world won't be the same, we will remember-- to slow down and be present in the moments that make up our lives; be open to other people and their stories; that most things can be fixed and even when they can't, it's fun to try; to make room for music and poetry; and of course, to listen to crows. Donations in Bill's memory can be made to: Connecticut Hospice or the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Research. A celebration of Bill's life will be held in the Spring.