I went to high school with Will and spent countless weekends travelling with him and fellow members of our debate team. If you knew Will to be kind-hearted, thoughtful, and genuine, I’m here to tell you, he was always like that. But if you also recognized his ability to speak confidently in public, and to think quickly on his feet, he probably honed those skills through countless debate rounds. As a team, we attended regular meetings, even in the summer. Meetings included speech drills, speaking as quickly as possible for long periods of time, sometimes with a pen in your mouth. They also included practice rounds, where I sometimes sparred with Will and his partners Kari, Cathleen and Neil. As a team, we missed many days from school to attend tournaments at college campuses all over the east coast. In some years, we went to as many as 14 tournaments. And we did not travel light.

Each team of two carried with them 5000+ sheets of evidence that we packed into 4-5 Rubbermaid totes. They weighed a ton. To move these mountains of paper, we had to use heavy duty dollies. The kind with big rubber tires you would use to move a keg of beer or a refrigerator. During these trips, we always stayed at the most inexpensive hotels, 4 of us to a room. We would negotiate for who got the first or last shower depending on whether you thought it was better to sleep in or have hot water.

I can remember one particularly excruciating bus ride to and from Boston for Harvard’s annual tournament. 12 hours each way with a guy named Tom Kruze at the wheel of a school bus. Cathleen was kind enough to post some pictures from one of these bus trips. During the trip, Will bought a Harvard sweatshirt. I remember thinking he was probably the only guy I knew that could actually pull that off. There’s another picture from Princeton where almost everyone was holding a trophy. It was a tournament where we collectively won a great deal of hardware with Will and his partner being part of a team that locked out the final round. And that was not the only time that happened.

Will was quietly confident, but also didn’t take himself too seriously. He was always in on the joke even when it came at his expense. His ability to speak fluent Spanish was frequently a prevalent element, with him playing into an “I Love Lucy” parody with Cathleen his then partner. Horribly disfigured incantations of “William, It was Really Nothing” by the Smiths were also a frequent gag on long music filled car trips.

One year, we attended a tournament at Westminster, a prestigious private school outside of Atlanta. It’s an expansive, well-manicured campus of buildings like a small college. (fancy). Will and Neil, during a break, were taking turns wheeling each other around on a beer dolly. When I arrived with another dolly, someone had the bright idea to strap the two together with bungee cords, forming a makeshift 4 wheeled cart. Moving the handle on the top dolly allowed the occupant to steer the crude contraption. After completing the construction, there was a series of dares to figure out who was going to ride it down the hill. I think Will was first, but then he and Neil decided to go together to see how fast they could go. So there they were, a future CEO and Board-Certified Radiologist, zipping down a hill on a precarious DIY soapbox car with no brakes. It was hilarious. I’m surprised we didn’t get stopped or even thrown out of that place.

Will was a capable debater, but he was a better student. He was our class valedictorian, an honor that he earned with great personal effort. Despite his dedication to his studies, Will had many friends in a number of circles. I lost touch with him after high school, but always thought I would run into him at a reunion. I mourn for him, for his family, and for all of us who lost a friend that played a unique part in the story of our lives. 

I met Will at Kempsville High School but didn't get to be good friends with him until we were at UVA together. I have so many fun memories of our college days, but I'll share one that really sticks out to me and speaks to the kind of person Will was. 

Will's roommates were throwing a party at the Lambeth apartments, and the party was a good one. Loud music, guys roughhousing, damage to the walls, and there was even a streaker as the evening went on. Will wasn't there and it was getting really late. 

At one point, I went into Will's room, I think to talk to somebody (? -- I can't remember), and I was stunned to find Will actually at home, at his desk, headphones on and studying. He had been there the whole time, quietly working at his desk, while the rest of us were being total idiots in the hall and rooms around him. 

I started to apologize to Will, but he gave me a big smile and said he was ready for a little break and asked if I was having fun at the party. So we started chatting, and he explained that he had a ton of work and big test, so he was just taking the night to work. I was struck by how completely unbothered he was that we were tearing the place up while he was trying to study. He didn't make a show of himself being responsible while we partied, he didn't ask anyone to leave or quiet down, he didn't get grumpy or even say anything as the night went on. And when I interrupted him, he was friendly and gracious and in a great mood. He laughed as I described the events of the party, and we got to talking about lots of other things. I ended up hanging out for quite a bit. 

When I left that night, I was thinking about what a special person Will was. We all knew he was brilliant -- you couldn't talk to him for five minutes without it hitting you in the face -- but as I got to know him better during our college years, I saw just how hardworking, intellectually curious, goal-driven, kind, and good-natured he was. I honestly never heard him say ugly things about ANYONE. On that night, he could've been irritated by us all and annoyed at having to work, but he was just cheerfully doing his thing.

Will embodied two traits that I admire deeply and strive to follow: staying positive and staying curious. I loved watching his travels through social media and seeing how fully he embraced life and its opportunities for learning and doing. We saw each other last at his engagement party in VB, and I was delighted to see he'd found such a lovely partner in Lindsay. He told me she was smart and beautiful and fun and had a huge heart for others. I could see how happy he was to be settling into life with her, and we talked about his eagerness for the wedding and parenthood and all the next steps. 

The last time we exchanged more than passing social media pleasantries was when my oldest daughter Ella was nominated for the UVA Jefferson scholarship. She and I were searching on the website for information, and we came across Will's name. All this time, and I never had realized he was a Jeff scholar (though, c'mon, of course he was). My husband and I started telling Ella about Will and sharing stories of this brilliant, wonderful friend we'd had in college, and I reached out to Will asking if he'd share any advice or insights into the scholarship selection process with Ella. He immediately messaged with his phone number, saying, "It’s been 20 years, man I’ve forgotten more than I ever knew from those years. But luckily not my love of some of the best life friends and moments we ever had at UVA." 

I didn't know Will was sick and am not surprised to see by his friends' and colleagues' memories that he was quiet about his illness.  As incredible as he was, Will never made things about himself or demanded attention. He just humbly went about being a phenomenal human being. It's been a couple weeks since I learned of his passing. Just devastated by the news. My sincerest condolences to Lindsay and the boys, to Will's parents, to Christian, to all who knew and loved him for the special person he was. 

I am so very sorry to hear of Will's passing. He has occupied my thoughts intermittently over the past year and a half after letting me know he needed a few tests at the hospital and would have to miss a meeting. He's been on my mind consistently since I learned he passed away. I cherish these thoughts, as they help me process and grieve with all the humanity Will deserves.

I consider Will among my favorite colleagues and dearest work friends at Blue Shield. I met Will soon after joining the organization 9/19/22. He had the most unique professional warmth and genuine interest in collaborating. He understood intuitively my work and my vision, and he was 100% supportive and committed to partnering to support my success. It was clear to me that he saw my success as our success, and that is rare. We had plans and commitments to ensure our team's collaborated. It's been my honor to learn from, celebrate and amplify Will's team every chance I get. I saw Will's leadership in living color - he knew when to stand back, when to lean in, when to take the reins, and when a debrief over a virtual happy hour was in order.

Will's interest in me as a person, mother, strategist, people manager, thought leader, new employee... I have honestly never worked with anyone so wholeheartedly and comprehensively interested! I see in these posts how widespread and consistent Will's impact has been. His commitment to joy, and the abounding joy that resulted warms my heart.

Linday's note to Will's Blue Shield colleagues says it all... "Will was adamant about showing an example of how to work at a high level despite disabilities and struggles, how to be vulnerable in the workplace, and how to model balancing doing what you love both in and out of work.... For Will it felt like more than work, it felt like family, and he thought of everyone at Blue Shield in the same way." I can assure you, we feel the same way.  Anyone who had the honor of working with, for, or around Will Martin Gill is better for it.

While his passing makes zero sense (!), I wish peaceful rest to Will and all love and grace to Will's work and actual families. He will continue to be missed and he will never be forgotten.