Bill is a retired engineer. Lois, Bill's wife, has been a homemaker. They are fairly ordinary people with little notable achievements. Yet they remain my heroes.
When he turned 18, Bill was drafted to serve in Korea from 1948 t 1949 as an Army engineer. He was lucky enough to leave Korea before the Korean War broke out, which cost thousands of American soldiers their lives.
Bill joined Rotary Club International and he developed a strong interest in international students who came to study in Minnesota. Bill and Lois took many international students under their tutelage, and they shared their time with them profusely and generously. I was under their tutelage when I came from Korea to study at the University of Minnesota.
Bill and Lois served as godparents for international students from countries such as Korea, Japan, England, Sweden, Iran, the Philippines, and Jamaica, to name a few. Even after the students left the United States, the contact with Bill and Lois continued. Many of these students became very successful, no doubt in part to their care.
Bill and Lois, who embody generosity, unselfishness and love, have been ambassadors of goodwill and international understanding. They will remain my heroes for the rest of my life.
Submitted by Anonymous
We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.
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