William Fletcher Obituary

Bill was not only a colleague but also a neighbor with lively children. In both of these capacities he was a delight to discuss academic as well as everyday issues. We have thought of him and his family often after they moved away. He has led a full and fulfilled life. Our hearts are with you, Diane, and your children and grandchildren.

I am sorry to hear the news about Bill. I have great memories of him as the Director of the Soviet Studies program. He could be cantankerous at times, but he really was at heart a great advocate for the program and those of us working with him. His legacy lives on through his family - and his academic family of students who had the privilege to work with him.

I cannot fully describe the impact William Fletcher had on me in my studies, in ways that carried forward into my adult life. His care for his students was remarkable, the contribution to their growth immeasurable.

I'm very saddened to hear of Dr. Fletcher's passing and send my condolences to his family. He really cared about his students. The defensive writing I learned in the SEES seminar has served me well. I most of all remember his wit and the fun he had as a professor. When there were brown bags, he and Dr. Maria Carlson would sit together making jokes and laughing like kids. When I mentioned that one student's proposal of a joint committee to investigate something sounded like a delaying tactic of a bureaucracy, I elicited a laugh and a smile from Dr. Fletcher. A fellow student recounted a meeting, where he told Dr. Fletcher that he wanted to check with him on his thesis, "since you have to read it". Dr. Fletcher responded, "Do you think I read these? Do you think I read ANY of them?"

I am very sorry to hear of Bill's passing, but am sure that he is with our Lord in heaven. When I was studying at SEES at KU, he was a tremendous inspiration in his work with the World Council of Churches, Russian and Soviet studies and the integration of working for peace with a religious ethic to end the Cold War. When I entered the Jesuits in 1983 after graduating from the MA SEES program, Bill was a great inspiration and source of encouragement. I wish to offer my heartfelt condolences and thanksgiving for having been one of his mentee's which was a great blessing and life-changing for me.As I have been teaching within Islamic Arabic countries for the past 8 years in Qatar, the UAE and Oman, I am grateful for the ecumenical foundation of religious tolerance and collaboration which Bill helped to teach me. Prayers and Blessings for him and his family from one of his many devoted and appreciative students.

Sorry to hear of Bill's passing. He was a personal friend...and a strong advocate for so many army officers that passed through KU for regional studies, enroute to worldwide assignments - and particularly assignments in Europe and Central Asia. He presided over the program at Lawrence during interesting times, including the heady days of the collapse of the Berlin wall, the Warsaw Pact, and the Soviet Union - forcing him to rename the program - a couple of times! I will always remember his positive attitude and his big smile. We'll keep friends and family in prayer - for their loss and for Bill's peace. I suspect he's up in heaven organizing the next seminar, God bless him!

Please accept my sincere condolences on Bill's passing. He was already an institution in his own right at KU when I was hired in 1990. He mentored my mentor, so I feel a bit as though Bill was an institutional "grandfather." I will remember him for his wit, lighting-fast analysis of problems, and irreverent take on institutions. He will be well remembered.

I was in my last year of undergrad study and headed back into the Army as an intelligence officer when Bill approached me outside his office and said, "Do I have a deal for you..." Within two months I was in Leningrad, followed by a great year of study for my M.A. in Soviet and East European Studies. Bill planted in my heart a concept that carried me throughout the next nearly three decades of military service -- people are the most important thing you can invest in. Had it not been for that conversation in the hallway, who knows what would have happened. We've lost a national treasure.

I was very sorry to learn about Professor Fletcher's passing. Please accept my condolences. I know his family knows this, but he was a great man and had a tremendous impact on a generation of scholars.

I am truly very sorry for your loss.JAMES 4:8 SAYS: DRAW CLOSE TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW CLOSE TO YOU.