Dompierre gave us greatest gift — his time

By ED McHUGH
Buzz From The 'Burbs
Mon. Aug 24

WHAT FOLLOWS is an excerpt from the eulogy for a friend that I had the honour of delivering last week. He was a great member of our community.

William Ormiston Dompierre — I recently learned his middle name. I always thought it should have been Empathy or maybe Altruism.

The Buddhists capture this approach when they say, "Truth waits for eyes unclouded by longing." Bill had no longing. Each day was a treat for him and for those of us fortunate enough to share them with him.

I can’t remember exactly when Bill, a resident of Bedford, entered my life. My first memories of him are coaching the Bedford Eagles boys’ basketball team and then the CPA High School girls’ team. He went on to coach the girls’ teams at Lockview High and then Dartmouth High.

He was a person who liked to be around and to be involved. He was a teacher’s teacher and a coach’s coach. I do remember thinking that he obviously loved to do both and to be around young people.

Eventually, we came to work together at the Nova Scotia Community College, where I really got to sense his substance.

Bill always took quite a bit of ribbing from his fellow teachers. This was mostly in response to what he dished out. It was all in good fun and sprinkled with respect.

He was a worker. He would take any teaching schedule he was given and do a fabulous job. It didn’t matter what he was assigned, he did it extraordinarily well.

Bill Dompierre was an exceptional teacher, coach and human being. He was a loving son, husband, father, neighbour and community member. In his 57 years, he deeply affected many lives.

In the fall of 2007, his cancer got a little more serious. It became apparent that there would be no funding for a needed drug that was deemed experimental for his form of cancer.

A group of us got together and decided something had to be done. It started small and grew over time. I recall we did not get one negative response from anyone that we asked for assistance. As my dear spouse commented at the time, "It’s easy to do nice things for nice people." Bill was "nice people."

After six short weeks, our efforts culminated in one of the most special nights any of us has ever experienced. "Our Community, Our Bill" was held at NSCC’s Akerley campus. He was a man who never sought the spotlight so this was not comfortable for him. However, I think he knew that we wanted to help and he didn’t want to disappoint us.

That night, two large rooms were filled with people who wanted to help Bill and his family.

What happened that night around 10 p.m. was legendary. In the world of movies, it was a moment right out of Mr. Holland’s Opus. Bill, shy by nature, entered the gym at Akerley to a room full of supporters. The outpouring of love and support was incredibly emotional.

When he spoke, there was silence throughout the gathering. Many attendees have remarked that it was one of the most affecting experiences of their lives. The night was a financial success, but that still feels secondary. Financial coverage for the medication eventually kicked in after much lobbying behind the scenes.

"He will be missed tremendously and always be remembered for his love of basketball and his love of the girls. He was a great coach and great friend in and out of the gym," was how Lockview High coach Sean Hanlon spoke about Bill.

Bill and I had lunch a few short days ago. I asked how it was going. His reply was typical Bill and I will never forget it. "Well…nobody has told me that I’m terminal," he said.

Fighting cancer every day, he stayed positive and strong. That was him. Despite his pleasant nature, he was a fierce competitor in sport and in life. At no point in the past eight years did he give up.

He freely gave the most precious gift of our earthly existence – the gift of time, the gift of himself. He was always available for others. If he wasn’t free, he somehow still made it happen.

Now, God has taken Bill to coach others. I am sure he is already assisting other souls who are in need of his advice and direction.

As Kahil Kabran said, "Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution."

God bless our community. God bless our Bill.