Bill Marx
President of the Walnut Hill Volunteers in Patrol
A Man You Can Count On
Bill approaches his life with eyes wide open, a welcoming smile, and a strong hand shake. He never calls attention to himself or takes full credit for the many successful projects under his leadership that have benefited those who have been fortunate enough to be touched by his life.
He and his lovely wife, Luella, of over fifty years met at Michigan State University where he was a student and she worked in the extension office. His long career with General Motors included a transfer to Dallas from New York over forty years ago to head up sales for the entire Southwest Region. He was on the move. Lots of traveling.
Even now, Bill doesn’t stand still for very long. Whether it’s walking the park at Walnut Hill Recreation Center picking up trash, greeting people at St. Monica’s parish church as a Eucharistic Minister, or instructing voters on the use of the machines on election days, Bills vitality is undaunted.
When he and Luella moved into this neighborhood, their house was only the third one on the block. Six children and eighteen grandchildren later, their little cul de sac is considered to be the heart of our Volunteers In Patrol and Crime Watch. Over half of its members were recruited from their street and the ones adjoining. Bill promotes VIP at every Fourth of July picnic, every neighborhood association meeting, and to everyone who crosses his path as he stretches his legs through the neighborhood. His message is simple – “VIP is important because it protects our neighborhood and the people in it and deters criminals.
Bill’s strong sense of civic responsibility is to be admired. He was precinct chairman for several years, is President of the Holy Name Society at St. Monica’s Catholic Church, and is President of the Advisory Council of Walnut Hill Recreation Center where he used to square dance and where we hold the monthly VIP meetings. Not even full knee replacement surgery could keep him from attending a neighborhood meeting last year.
What Bill likes most about our neighborhood is that we watch out for each other. When neighbors go out of town, they can count on VIP and other neighbors to keep an eye on their houses. He considers prevention, being on the alert, and keeping everyone informed the reasons for us having such an excellent, stable neighborhood.
Any issues that need paying attention to or final words of wisdom, “Yes, keep your area free of litter by joining us in a spring clean up and watch out for each other by joining the Volunteers in Patrol.”
