THIEBEN – William B. April 15, 2021. Bill Thieben, 86, formerly of Patchogue, NY died peacefully on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Bill was a Sayville High school (Class of 1952) and Hofstra College graduate, member of “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and was selected to several NCAA All American Basketball teams.
He was drafted by the Ft. Wayne Pistons of the NBA and played for Fort Wayne and later the Detroit Pistons.
It was on May 27, 1956 that he was fortunate enough to marry Georgia Vedder with whom he would spend the next 65 years.
He retired from professional basketball and began his life-long career as an educator. Bill was a teacher, coach and principal at Bay Shore High School. It was here that the profound impact he would have on young people and adults alike was first realized.
He became a part of the fabric of a tightly knit community in a decade marked by the Civil Rights movement, the ever-present influence of the Vietnam War and one very notable Thursday in April of 1966 that shook the Bayshore community and secondary education everywhere.
He went on to help build and lead the Rocky Point Junior-Senior High School from construction to operation.
Eventually, he returned to his first love, which was the classroom and being a teacher.
Bill taught at Rocky Point and later at Suffolk Community College, C.W. Post, St. Joseph’s College and Briarcliffe College.
Every stop on this journey included far too many close relationships to list. A love of music was well documented to all who knew him, and this gift was passed on to several of his grandchildren.
His guitar was his companion at any gathering.
The Great South Bay was Bill’s spiritual sanctuary. Thousands of days were spent sailing with friends and family on every corner of his beloved bay. There were no bay men, ferry skippers or fellow sailors who did not recognize his skipjack on the horizon under full sail.
Bill was predeceased by his parents Bernhard and Erna, his daughter Lise, brother in-law Jacob Barbier and his soul mate Red Ahern.
He is survived by his wife Georgia; son Bill (Jennifer); sister Lore Barbier; grandchildren Drew (Melissa Duran) Thieben, Ryan (Lindsey) Mills, Graham (Mary Finn) Thieben, Jolie Sylvestre, Bailey Thieben, Ben Thieben; niece Valerie Barbier; great-granddaughters Harper and Eden Mills; far too many adopted children and relatives to mention.A memorial gathering to take place on Long Island will be announced at a later date.
Donations can be made to the William B. Thieben and Bay Shore High School Memory Walk Foundation Scholarship, contact Dennis DeVivo, dennis@devivoassociates.comPlease sign the Maurer Funeral Home on-line guest book for Bill to express your condolences to his family.
Published by Newsday on Apr. 25, 2021.