Bill Black was a scholarly fly fisherman in addition to being a very well-respected pathologist. In the mid-60s he taught seminars on fly fishing in the Pathology Department library that my brothers and I attended, along with Walter Bauer, who along with my father, John Kissane were on the faculty there. Years later I reconnected with Bill Black, seeking his advice on a number if fly fishing matters, not the least of which was the publishing of a fly fishing book. His advice was vital to the successful search for a publisher, and through his encouragement, I was able to see it through. Imagine my delight a few years later to have him call to tell me he was going to use my book in his fly-fishing class! He was a wonderful guy and left a great legacy in all of his passions.
Bill was just the most wonderful teacher and pathologist. Not to mention he made Rick and I some flies for fly fishing that allowed me to catch my first fish fly fishing in New Mexico. The medical students just loved him. I co-taught some tutorials with Bill and I can attest that he was simply one of the best at interacting with students. He was encouraging, smart and fun. I learned a lot from him about how to work with students.