For all he has done, Gilley will be missed
Our community has suffered some difficult losses over the past month, perhaps none as startling as the Monday morning passing of longtime swim instructor Bill Gilley.
It was just two days earlier Gilley was at center stage during opening ceremonies at McMinnville’s new city pool. Center stage was a spot he occupied frequently any time pool activities were involved.
Gilley operated under the philosophy that every person deserved the right to learn how to swim. In his caring eyes, this applied to every child, every teen, every adult.
He devoted some 30 years of his life to giving swim lessons and making sure they were available. That’s 30 years of volunteering his time summer after summer, night after night. He never asked for payment, never requested a dime for his services.
And that’s just one of the things which distinguished Bill Gilley from so many others who give of their time. He was always there to provide a guiding hand. He was always at the pool watching over swim lessons. It wasn’t something he did twice a week or whenever it was convenient. It was his passion.
He was at the pool again Saturday morning – looking healthy, wearing his familiar smile, and cutting the red ribbon with his wife, Jean, to dedicate the new pool which is fittingly named in their honor. And it is truly a facility worthy of its name, Gilley Pool.
Over the years, there’s no telling how many lives Gilley has touched. The estimate that’s been made is that he has helped teach close to 20,000 people how to swim. That’s an estimate that’s believable when you consider his years of service and the number of classes offered each night.
For the vast majority of us, Mr. Gilley’s passing will have us treading water in uncharted territory. We’ve never been to swimming lessons at the city pool without him being there.
This applies to children who have gone through the swim program and then come back as instructors to teach others to swim. This applies to the many lifeguards Gilley has taught CPR and other life-saving techniques. This applies to the many grandparents who have taken their children, and now their grandchildren, to the city pool to learn how to swim.
That’s why swimming lessons are going to be different this year. They are going to seem odd. When the kids get out their kickboards and put on their goggles, there will be no way to escape the feeling that something is missing.
That’s because the man who has meant so much to the swim program and so much to this community will not be there. The man who has given so much of his time for three decades and asked nothing in return will not be there.
For all he did for the local swim program – and all he did for people of this community outside the water – Bill Gilley will be remembered. But most of all, he will be missed.