Photo courtesy of Debbie Abelow
We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Bill Abelow, founding Board Member, longtime staff member, and dear friend to many at NYC Outward Bound Schools. He was 91.
A graduate of Columbia Law School, Bill started his career at Weil, Gotshal and Manges, and eventually left to help found the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes, where he led labor negotiations.
Bill’s first brush with Outward Bound was in 1974 on a 9-day climbing and rafting expedition along the Chattanooga River with North Carolina Outward Bound School (where he later served as a board member). He credited the adventure with giving him a new outlook on pushing personal limits.
Bill stayed involved with Outward Bound, serving as a trustee in the mid-1980s, and became a critical part of the planning committee that helped envision what an Outward Bound presence in New York City could look like. When NYC Outward Bound Schools officially launched in July 1987, he became a founding member of the Board to offer his guidance and support in bringing this new work to fruition.
Two years later, Bill was tapped to join the full-time staff as Deputy Director of Operations, taking on projects that ranged from government contracts and legal support, to overseeing the Outward Bound Professional Program, which at the time encompassed adult teambuilding programs.
“Bill brought an infectious, can-do spirit of optimism to everything he did,” wrote President Emeritus Richard Stopol, in a tribute for Bill’s 90th birthday last year. “No task was too big or too daunting for him, and no task could extinguish the cheerfulness with which he approached the work and his interactions with others.”
Perhaps Bill’s most enduring gift to the organization was his leadership in securing, financing and renovating NYC Outward Bound headquarters in Long Island City, where we still are today.
Bill continued to regularly volunteer with NYC Outward Bound on special projects for more than a decade, leaving an impact long after his full-time tenure ended.
Those who would like to honor Bill’s legacy are invited to donate to NYC Outward Bound Schools in his memory. Your gift will support the students and schools that Bill loved and spent years serving through our organization.
Photo courtesy of Debbie Abelow