Claremont COURIER/Friday, January 6, 2017 9
Bill Vaskis
Inspiring teacher, tenor singer, scholar
Waldemar Bill Vaskis, a longtime
Claremont High School history teacher
who influenced generations of students,
died by suicide on December 21, 2016 at
Mt. San Antonio Gardens. He was 78.
He came into the world in Philadelphia
on April 16, 1938, the second of three chil-
dren born to Latvian immigrants Zelma and
William Vaskis. The elder Mr. Vaskis
was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1934
and over the years served as pastor at
churches in Pennsylvania and Baltimore.
He was also in the Army Chaplains Corps
during World War II and the Korean War,
seeing conflict overseas while stationed in
Germany and Korea.
William brought his family, including
Bill and his older sister Inesa Nord-Leth,
then in sixth and seventh grade, to live with
him in Germany for a year. Bill picked up
some German from playing with the local
kids, and he and Inesa enjoyed ice skating
together at Linderhof, King Ludwig IIs
summer palace in Bavaria.
Education was enormously important in
the Vaskis family. After securing a prom-
ise that his sweetheart Zelma would mar-
ry him, William left Latvia first, attending
West Hill College in Birmingham, England
before landing in Chicago. It was the height
of the Depression but he managed, through
a series of jobs and scholarships, to earn
a bachelors degree in theology at the
Northern Baptist Seminary. Later, he re-
ceived a masters degree in theology from
Eastern Baptist Seminary in Philadel-
phia. Upon his return to Latvia, William
served briefly as pastor of a Latvian Bap-
tist Church. He also married Zelma who,
despite proposals from other suitors, had
waited seven years for his return.
In August of 1937, the Vaskises de-
barked at Ellis Island in New York after a
voyage on the S.S. Europa. Zelma was
pregnant with Bill and had nine-month-old
Inesa in tow. They left just in time. With
the onset of World War II, Latvia was
seized by the Soviet Union in 1940, oc-
cupied by Nazi Germany in 1941 and re-
occupied by the Soviets in 1944. The fam-
ily settled in Philadelphia and welcomed
a third child, a son named Andris, a few
years later.
Mr. Vaskis inherited his fathers rever-
ence for learning. After graduating from an
all-boys high school in Maryland, he en-
rolled in Baltimore City College. He next
attended the University of Pennsylvania,
where he studied classical history and
earned teaching credentials in history,
English and music. He later studied phi-
losophy and theology at Claremont Grad-
uate University.
Mr. Vaskis interest in music, particularly
classical, never waned. In fact, he was a
longtime member of the choir at La Verne
Church of the Brethren, where he sang
tenor.
Bill had an endless subscription to the
Philharmonic in LAhe knew most of the
musicians, Inesa said. That was his pas-
sion, really. That, and his Claremont
kids.
In 1967, he landed a gig as a sub at
Claremont High School and then as a full-
time history teacher. He quickly threw him-
self into the school community, serving as
OBITUARIES
tribute to his old teacher on Facebook, ex-
cerpted below.
He was a complicated man, full of love
for this world and for the people who in-
habit it. The fact that I had exactly one class
with him should indicate that he played
only a small part of my high school career.
Nothing could be further from the truth,
he wrote. [He] was a constant presence
on campus, at CHS soccer games and with-
in the larger Claremont community. The
summer after my graduation, Bill ac-
companied a group of us on a sailing trip
among the San Juan Islands. It was a great
trip, creating numerous memories that keep
me smiling today as I reminisce about From Facebook
Billmore than 25 years later. I wish you Bill Vaskis, center, and CHS students
fair winds and flowing seas, my friend. post at the Eiffel Tower in 1986.
In the end, Mr. Vaskis eagerness to con-
assistant soccer coach in the early 70s and nect with students got him in trouble adamantly against it.
taking over as head coach in 1977. Bill didnt want any family living in
with school administrators. His methods
He considered travel to be an essential didnt jibe with emerging standards from Claremont, she said. This was his town,
part of learning and more than once took No Child Left Behind and he was coerced his family and his kids. He just loved Clare-
delegations of students on a tour of Europe. into an early retirement at the end of 1999. mont and he was loved here.
Photos of a 1986 sojourn posted online by While he received a pension, he remained Still, she loved her energetic, occa-
CHS alums include a picture of Mr. Vask- hurt by the damage to his reputation and sionally irascible little brother. I ad-
is and 10 students posing in front of the Eif- to his career. mired how educated and talented he was,
fel Tower. He also took the kids to land- Ms. Nord-Leth said. He could fly, he
Mr. Vaskis was not ready to go quietly
marks like the Trevi Fountain in Rome and into that good night. He kept a dizzying could ski, he could coach soccer.
on a boat ride through the Blue Grotto, a schedule, taking aquafit classes, volun- Mr. Vaskis had been grounded by health
famous sea cave on the Island of Capri. teering three days a week with the Prison issues lately, including undergoing a
Never one to let too many rules stand in Library Project, enjoying star-watching par- quadruple bypass a few years ago. A
his way, Mr. Vaskis slipped the gondola ties hosted by Pomona Valley Amateur As- dyed-in-the-wood liberal Democrat, he was
driver a few thousand lira to let the students tronomers, attending AA meetings and au- also deeply unsettled by the current state
go swimming. of political affairs.
diting classes at the Claremont Colleges.
The indefatigable Mr. Vaskis was a He also visited with former students when Friends throughout the community,
skilled pilot and sailor, who participated in he was on the road or when they came to however, say that he didnt seem de-
CHS sailing and flying clubs. He was also town, and was always open to new ac- pressed in his final days. He continued his
adviser to the CHS Ski Club, driving stu- quaintanceships. He met Vince Turner and usual activities, volunteering and mingling
dents to Mammoth twice a month during his bunch at Some Crust Bakery and with friends.
the ski season, and lead camping trips for soon had become a founding member of On the last day of his life, Mr. Vaskis got
the Mountaineering Club at sites like the Claremont Community College, which riled up about politics, which is nothing un-
Mount San Gorgonio. usual for someone with an occasional fire-
is not a real college but instead an organ-
Such enrichment activities have waned ization devoted to the cultivation of knowl- brand streak. However, in this case, his
within the Claremont Unified School edge, art and culture in the City of Trees. heart rate rose precipitously during the de-
District in recent years amid financial and They are notably responsible for creating bate. Mr. Vaskis spent the day in the hos-
legal concerns. All the things we used to Claremonts 5 Second Film Festival. He pital undergoing tests and was later picked
do, we cant do anymore, he said in a 2013 loved the groups monthly meetings at Ma- up by Mr. Thoits, who took him home. As
COURIER interview. he said good night, he asked Bill to join his
niac Mikes at Cable Airport and was al-
Mr. Vaskis was also a proponent of ad- ways ready to pitch in to help with any of familys Christmas celebration. He seemed
ventures of the mind. His favorite class he the CCCs endeavors. disposed to accept his offer, so Mr. Thoits
taught was one he initiated in the 1970s was as shocked as any of Mr. Vaskis
He was the glue, Mr. Turner said. It
called Directed Reading and continued wasnt just studentshe helped tie the friends to hear of his death later that
through the duration of his career. night.
community together.
A group of accelerated juniors and Ms. Nord-Leth said police sent her a pic-
Another friend he met around that time
seniors would read a book a week, meet- is Dave Thoits, whose soccer fanaticism ture of her brothers computer screen.
ing every Tuesday night at Mr. Vaskis rivaled that of Mr. Vaskis. Bills favorite Shortly before taking his life, he had
house for a potluck dinner to discuss the football club was Barcelona, but he also written a Facebook message directed at his
book and plan what to read next. Books ex- rooted enthusiastically for Englands FC many friends in and from Claremont.
plored over the years ranged from Dantes Arsenal. They would often meet up at one The note never posted, but she asked that
Inferno to The Princess Bride. It was a of their homes or at the Pasadena British his final message be included in his obit-
labor of love, with Mr. Vaskis getting paid pub Lucky Baldwins to watch the lively uary, so people will know he wanted to say
for the class only one semester over the contests. goodbye and hoped his friends wouldnt
years. grieve too much. He wrote, The ticker has
Even after Mr. Vaskis recent move to
Teaching should be about getting kids Mt. San Antonio Gardens, he remained a ceased to work. It has been a great run. You
to think, he said. Thats why I couldnt soccer hooligan at heart, organizing have been a great bunch. It is time to say
teach today: Its not about thinking, its parties for the senior residents to watch adieu. Bill Vaskis.
about teaching to the test. A community memorial for Mr. Vask-
World Cup games.
Hundreds of students, living across the is is planned for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Janu-
Mr. Vaskis was estranged from his
globe, kept in contact with Mr. Vaskis over brother because the two seemed constitu- ary 29 at the Garner House in Memorial
the years. CHS alums have responded to tionally unable to speak without arguing Park, 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd., Claremont.
news of Mr. Vaskis death with an out- about something, usually religion. While In lieu of flowers, please send donations
pouring of online tributes, sharing that his he spoke to Ms. Nord-Leth on the phone in his memory to The Prison Library Proj-
teaching and his friendship changed their and they exchanged visits, she said he tend- ect, c/o The Claremont Forum, 586 W. First
lives. St., Claremont, CA 91711 or by visiting
ed to keep his family at arms length. Once,
Lee Rawles, who took Mr. Vaskis Di- when she mused aloud about whether or claremontforum.org. Sarah Torribio
rected Reading course, posted a heartfelt not she should move to Claremont, he was storribio@claremont-courier.com