When Bill was six years old, we visited Randy's mom and dad while dad was working as a mechanic with a road construction company.  Kathy and I was away for the day and when we got back to where mom and dad were living at that time to find out Bill had talked my mom into purchasing several of those little toy cars for him from the store.
  Kathy and I were preparing to be gone the next day and left strict instructions with Bill that his Grandma did not to buy any more toys for him and his sister.  In fact we gave his instructions that he was not to ask for even one little car.  When we returned that afternoon, Bill came running over to us proudly showing us a new little car in his hand.  I said rather loudly that he was not to ask for one thing,  Up popped his other hand with another new car in it.  After a bit of scolding Bill said you said I was not to ask for ONE thing.  I didn't, I asked for TWO !!

I have dozens (if not hundreds) of Bill stories. He was a mentor, friend and colleague during my time At UCI. In the end, it isn't the Baja ranch trips, the times at the ropes course, the tumultuous and joyful experiences with World Works that I will remember. In the end, it is how I felt every time I interacted with Bill. I have never known anyone who could simultaneously make me feel so safe, so cheerful and so adventurous. It didn't matter what we were doing --those three things were always there. More than a decade after I left California, I sent Bill an email asking for some help with a team building activity in London. He was on the phone with me minutes after receiving the email and he helped me put together a great programme. 

If you ever wanted to turn an idea of how to have an adventure into actually having the adventure, call Bill. Bill was always up for the challenge, for waking up before dawn to climb a mountain, and then in the same day surfing until dark to suck the marrow out of the day. I wanted to say that he seemed inexhaustible - but he would sometimes fall asleep in his chair!

Bill was a conduit for positive energy, both physically and in spirit. I'll strive to celebrate his memory by channeling positivity by saying 'yes' to fun and adventure.

The first time I met Bill he was carrying a huge bag of soccer balls and toting many pieces of luggage before we boarded the SAS ship in the Bahamas. It makes me laugh as he was such a good sport carrying so much "stuff" that he and Sunny had volunteered to take on the ship. Then there was a funny moment when Bill found all of us in the faculty lounge having an LLT "staff meeting" (I think we had moved on to some fun drinks by that point).

Shortly after I had moved to Seattle, Sunny, Bill and Alex were driving through the area and came to visit me at work. It was my first birthday after moving, and I remember being sad that day as no one knew it was my birthday and I had no one to celebrate with. Having their visit that day really lifted my spirits and made me feel special. I think they even brought me a gift! 

Each memory of Bill makes me smile or laugh!

My son Matt and I were always trying to keep up with Bill and Alex at Kirkwood. We started going thee 3-4 years ago when Matt and Alex became friends and Bill told me how much better the skiing was. Matt and I always struggled to keep up with Bill and Alex but we progressed and this last winter it seemed like we were improving and not always that last back to the lift.

20-21 was a pretty dry winter in the Sierras but there was a fine weekend in February where we all met up and had a great "powder day." Serena was in her ski school class and Sunny was staying warm at home. I was feeling extra sure of myself so when Alex and Matt turned off to take an easier route down Eagle Bowl I followed Bill over to some steep chutes in the back of the bowl. Before I knew it I was standing at the top of a narrow dropoff watching Bill ride effortlessly down the bottom of the bowl.

Bill stopped and looked back up, waiting as he often had to do while I made up my mind. I had gotten stuck in a similar chute the previous week and ended up tangled against the top of a tree that leaned into it and I was not eager to be a Christmas ornament again. He waved and pointed to the right side of the chute where I could see a little space to fit my skis and make a turn. I think he knew I needed a little encouragement and direction and that (along with my desire not to make everyone wait at the lift again) was enough to get me over the edge. In a few seconds I was at the bottom of the bowl following Bill's tracks, having made a run I would never have dared on my own.

I will always remember Bill standing on ahead, looking back, waiting for me and pointing me toward the narrow little route that got me down that day.

When I think of Bill, I think of his facilitation skills and interest in helping teams thrive. 

While getting his PhD at Antioch University in Leadership and Change, Bill completed an impressive dissertation about the qualities and skills of effective team coaches. After he graduated I invited him to share his research on my podcast The Deliberate Creative. In this episode he talked about his research and what he learned, specifically what a team coach is, how coaches impact a team, and the top skills and the top qualities team coaches need. 

If you'd like to listen, here's the link...
https://climerconsulting.com/episode-42-qualities-and-skills-of-effective-team-coaches/

I first met Bill in 2000 when we were both getting our Master's degrees in Outdoor Education at the University of New Hampshire. We both had been hired as graduate assistants to lead a wilderness excursion program called Fireside.

One day Bill and I went on a bike ride together (where Bill quickly left me in the dust) and later made dinner at his house. Bill started to make us burritos. With his head in the refrigerator he was asking me if I liked certain foods. Pretty soon he had concocted these enormous breakfast burritos with eggs and a random of assortment of veggies. They were delicious! From then on, I always just added any available veggie to my burritos. I mean, why not? What a great way to get in your veggies! 

Later, when I was dating Julie (now my wife), we were making burritos together. Julie is much more of a foodie and a far better cook than me. But, in my efforts to be helpful I had my head in the 'frige asking if we should add this or that to the burritos She scoffed at nearly every suggestion saying those ingredients didn't "go together." Hmph. I told her about Bill's burritos. She was definitely missing out!

I always think of Bill Jacox when I eat fat burritos bursting to the rim with yummy veggies. And, I love making them that way too - they are so good!

Bill's sense of adventure was at the forefront of everything he put his mind to, and I loved watching it after becoming close friends with him in high school.  Bill didn't just ski, he jumped off the highest cliffs.  He didn't just hike in the mountains, he bought some gear and climbed the rocky peaks.  He didn't just travel, he moved to other countries to teach English.  I always appreciated this about Bill, wondering 'how does he do that?' while at the same time trying to follow his lead and be a bit more adventurous myself.  

My funniest memory of Bill was when he turned 16 and got his driver's license a few months before I did.  It was maybe even his 16th birthday - he picked me up in his mom's Firebird Trans-Am (which was by far the best car that any of us drove) and we headed for the Burien Freeway - also known as BIR or the Burien International Raceway as it was a long, straight stretch of highway next to Sea-Tac airport.  We wanted to see what it was like to go fast, and Bill got the Firebird up to 110 before we saw police lights out of nowhere in the rear-view mirror.  The policeman pulled us over and Bill didn't even have a real license - he anxiously handed over the temporary paper license he had just picked up that morning.  I was sure we'd be going to jail, but in a huge act of charity the guy let us go with a warning, reminding Bill that the slip of paper was "a driver's license, not a pilot's license."