William “Bill” Holbert Cecil, 88, passed away peacefully in the loving arms of his wife, Rita, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
Bill was born in Cecilia on May 3, 1935. He grew up in Cecilia, on a farm his family had owned for generations. During the Great Depression, his family briefly moved to Idaho, where his father was in command of a WPA public works program.
His primary education was remarkable for its contrasts: He attended St. Ambrose, a small rural two-room school in Cecilia, but graduated from high school in Japan, where the family had rejoined their father serving in the military.
Upon returning to Cecilia in 1953, he met the love of his life, Rita Johnson. He studied engineering at Auburn University, and while interning at Lockheed, he was recruited by the U.S. Navy. After earning his wings, Rita and Bill were married on June 7, 1957, in Alice, Texas. Bill elected to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. His primary duty station was El Toro Marine Air Base, where he flew missions from California to Japan.
His service was cut short by a heart condition induced by high-altitude flight and he was honorably discharged. Upon his return to Kentucky, he was asked by the superintendent to teach high school math. From 1960-1968, Bill taught mathematics at West Hardin High School. While simultaneously teaching, building his own home, running the family farm, and coaching both track and cross-country sports, he earned multiple teaching degrees from Western Kentucky University.
In 1969, because of a child’s health condition, he and Rita moved the family to Naples, where he taught mathematics, computer science and aviation to Naples High School students. Shortly after his arrival, he and fellow math teachers made a grant request to the Digital Equipment Corporation and were awarded a DEC PDP 8e computer, which stood 5 ft (H) x 3 ft (W) x 3 ft (D). This behemoth was installed at Naples High in 1970. Long before monitors, hard drives or user interfaces, this early introduction of computer programming and processing opened a huge door of opportunity for many students in the pioneer days of the computer industry.
Bill’s educational influence was felt outside the classroom. He was one of the chief negotiators for teachers’ salaries in the county. Elected as president of the Collier County Education Association, he frequently was interviewed and wrote on behalf of education issues. He was elected as vice-president of the Florida Teachers Union. He served many years as a registered lobbyist in Tallahassee, where he engaged law makers in educational issues. He was one of the first recipients of the Golden Apple — a peer-based teaching award.
During his teaching career, he also found time as a youth sports coach — coaching football, baseball and track and field.
He was able to continue his love of flying and served in the Civil Air Patrol for many years flying search and rescue missions as well as weekly sundown patrol flights — before cell phones, these evening missions rescued many disabled boaters from North Naples to Everglades City. He was an active member and officer of the Naples Flying Club. Laced with his teaching skills, he taught many pilots to earn their private, commercial and advanced instrument ratings.
And somewhere in all this he tied his love of fishing into this life of service. Before a day of teaching, he was known to fish the rock jetties at Doctors Pass or launch his boat at night and fish dock lights for snook.
Bill loved playing basketball, but as he aged, he migrated through tennis, golf and pickle ball.
Upon his retirement from teaching in 1996, Bill was involved in numerous community park projects, most notably, the Cambier Park Playground make-over, where he served as the quartermaster. Later he was involved in the construction of the Skate Park at Fleischmann Park. He also was known for his pancake expertise with the St. Ann’s Knights of Columbus, where many towers of flapjacks were flipped and stacked under the guidance of his spatula.
And through all this life, his faith was prominent. He taught Sunday School (CCD) at St. Ann’s. Sponsored and chaperoned the youth clubs (CYO) at St Ann’s. Served as an officer in the Knights of Columbus. And in his retirement years, he was a regular member at St. Williams Parish.
One of Bill’s proudest achievements is that on the land where he lived as a child and later farmed as an adult, now stands the Cecilia Valley Elementary School.
All being said, Bill was an amazingly gifted educator who impacted the lives of his students both inside and outside the classroom. He inspired generations of Naples students to pursue careers in teaching, aviation, engineering and the armed services. The Kentucky writer Jesse Stuart wrote, “I am firm in my belief that a teacher lives on and on through his students. Good teaching is forever, and the teacher is immortal.” This is true of Bill.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Sylvester and Mary Agnes Cooper Cecil; and his three brothers, James, Robert and Ben Cecil.
Survivors include his wife Rita Cecil; his three beloved children and their spouses, Mark William Cecil (Jennifer Driggers), Sabra Cecil Raudenbush (Mark Raudenbush) and Laura Cecil (no one is worthy of her). He also is survived by his sister, Ann Murphy (Tom) of Dallas, Texas; an aunt, Betty Cooper Tichenor of Louisville; a sister-in-law, Joyce Johnson, and niece, Debbie Seaton, both of Cecilia; a sister-in-law, Nydia Cecil of Pembroke Pines, Florida; and many other relatives and friends in Hardin County. Bill adored his 11 grandchildren, Alice Cecil, Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, Kaity Brawley, Matthew Cecil, Kathleen Cecil, David Richardson, Christopher Cecil, Jackson Spaugh, Max Seixas, Cecilia Spaugh and Alex Cecil, as well as his four great-grandchildren.
A memorial Mass is at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 8, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Cecilia with a reception to immediately follow in the St. Ambrose Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Bill Cecil Scholarship, P.O. Box 366523, Bonita Springs FL 34136. Make your donation payable to “Naples High School.”