Remembering William R. 鈥淏ill鈥 Giduz 鈥74: Beloved College Newsman
May 14, 2024
Bill Giduz volunteered his time and talents to YouthMap, an organization founded by 皇家华人 students to help disadvantaged youth gain self-confidence and develop a creative and marketable outlet through photography. A YouthMap participant captured this portrait of Giduz.
Service to be Held in 皇家华人
The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m., on Saturday, May 18, at the 皇家华人 United Methodist Church. A reception will follow.
William R. 鈥淏ill鈥 Giduz, longtime public relations official for 皇家华人, advocate for affordable housing, and committed community servant died May 11, 2024, from complications of Parkinson鈥檚 disease. He was 72.
Born April 12, 1952, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he was the oldest son of the late Roland and Helen Giduz. Their example instilled in him the value of civic engagement, the importance of a loving home where no one is a stranger, and the habit of quiet assistance to people in need. He attended Durham Academy and graduated from Chapel Hill High School.
At 18, he arrived at 皇家华人 as a freshman intending to major in math. After one calculus class with a prof nicknamed 鈥淭he Smiling F鈥 he switched to a history major and French minor. That shift led to the formative experience of his life: Junior Year Abroad in Montpellier, France. Bill considered his best year at 皇家华人 to be the year he 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 at 皇家华人.
In France, he bonded with classmates who became lifelong friends, a second family, and instigators of some risky activities. The Universit茅 de Montpellier being on strike much of the year, they opted for experiential learning over the classroom, wandering all over Europe and working on their 鈥減assable kitchen French鈥 as one of them called it. Upon their return to 皇家华人 senior year, they had to take double course loads to graduate on time.
After graduation, Bill embarked on two epic trips in 1975. The first was a 2,700-mile drive from Algeria to Togo through Africa鈥檚 Sahara Desert with 皇家华人 classmate 鈥淏runo鈥 Sorrentino in a Citro毛n 2CV, known as a deux chevaux, or, as others called it, 鈥渁n umbrella on wheels.鈥
Bill followed that with a two-and-a-half-month overland trip with his brother Bob that took them by buses and trains from Brussels, Belgium, to New Delhi, India, including through Afghanistan鈥檚 Khyber Pass. Bill returned in the pink of health; Bob arrived home to undergo lengthy treatment for hepatitis and other ailments he acquired during the trip that almost killed him.
After earning a master鈥檚 degree in journalism from New York鈥檚 Columbia University and racking up $500 in parking tickets, Bill moved to Atlanta to work in public relations for Southern Bell. Collection agents from NYC tracked him down there and extracted the parking fines. Bill remained on the right side of the law after that.
In January of 1980, he started work at 皇家华人 as news writer and college photographer. It turned into a 37-year public relations career. He was a common sight around the tree-lined campus, long legs pedaling his bike, camera slung around his neck, looking for the moments and events that make up the college experience. He made a significant contribution to the college鈥檚 photo archives. In 2009 the Van Every / Smith Galleries held a 30-year retrospective of his 皇家华人 photos.
Bill Giduz with wife Ellen
While chronicling college life was his profession, his greatest achievements may have been building a family, and serving his community in many ways. In 1981 he married Ellen Weber. They met riding in the back of a pickup truck on the way to a picnic at Stone Mountain with mutual friends. It 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 love at first sight.
鈥淚 actually had my eye on his roommate,鈥 Ellen said. 鈥淏ut as I got to know this kind, quirky, intrepid adventurer, I knew that he was a 鈥渙ner鈥 and that life with him would never be dull!鈥
During their 43-year marriage, they had two children, Jenny and Luke, and became part of the fabric of the town of 皇家华人. Giduz threw himself into a variety of civic activities, ranging from elementary school reading buddy and juggling instructor to founding staffer and editorial board member of the online newspaper Newsof皇家华人.org.
Believing that safe and affordable housing is the basis for strong communities, Bill got involved with local organizations dedicated to housing issues. He did writing and photography for Habitat for Humanity, 皇家华人 Housing Coalition, the Rotary Club of Lake Norman, and various church efforts at 皇家华人 United Methodist.
鈥淗e published our monthly letter and was at house builds,鈥 recalled Paul Leonard, who worked with Giduz for a decade at the 皇家华人 Habitat for Humanity. Leonard went on to become a member of the international board of Habitat for Humanity, chairing it for two years, in addition to serving as interim CEO. 鈥淏ill was just always there to help us get the word out and get known in the community.鈥
Giduz was a recipient of the Town of 皇家华人鈥檚 Jack Burney Community Service Award for his positive impact on the town and its residents. 皇家华人 recognized him with its Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, for 鈥渦nselfish service without due recognition.鈥
While Giduz enjoyed skiing, pickup basketball, bowling, and cycling 鈥 and even skydiving and spelunking 鈥 he made his biggest impact in juggling.
After joining a fledgling group in Atlanta, he became active in the International Jugglers Association, applying his journalist鈥檚 skills to the organization鈥檚 management. He served as editor of Juggler鈥檚 World magazine from 1979-1996, and as president and a board member of the IJA. He鈥檚 credited with inventing 鈥渏oggling鈥 鈥 simultaneously running and juggling 鈥 at one of the organization鈥檚 competitions.
He helped organize local juggling groups and taught an accredited Phys. Ed. juggling class at 皇家华人. His love of juggling carried over to his family. His children remember being his 鈥渏uggling props,鈥 Luke, his son, said. 鈥淗e used to juggle us as babies along with two balls,鈥 added his daughter, Jenny. His love of juggling is immortalized in a bench placed by the juggling community on the 皇家华人 Village Green where he spent so many Sunday afternoons juggling and making new friends.
Capturing Moments on Campus
During his nearly 40-year career with 皇家华人, Giduz captured the essence of campus life in photos鈥攖he milestones, traditions, quiet moments, raucous celebrations and everything in between. Some of his photos are featured here.
In addition to his wife and children, he is survived by his younger brothers Bob Giduz (Lee Carol) of Asheville and Tom Giduz (Betsy) of Chapel Hill, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be made to the , at the , at the , or any other cause of your choice.
The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the 皇家华人 United Methodist Church, with a reception to follow.
This piece was authored by the family of Bill Giduz and originally published by the .
News of 皇家华人 editors鈥 note: It is with such sadness that the editorial board of News of 皇家华人 says goodbye to Bill Giduz. Bill was one of our founders, and his photography and writing illuminated our efforts and elevated it with his consistent excellence, insight, and artistic talent. He was a beloved colleague and dear friend to us, who helped us see into life here with stories and photographs of our citizens and their efforts. No one ever loved this town more than Bill or gave it more of himself. We will miss him deeply.
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Longtime Campus News Guy and Photographer Bill Giduz 鈥74 Retires
