Bereavement Notice for Partners Leader William E. Engle

 

We are sad to announce the untimely death of our beloved Partner and colleague in Indiana Partners of the Americas, William E. Engle, on December 20, 2016.   Bill was 72 years old and had just completed a much-needed cardiac operation, but he died in recovery.  Bill was a Board Member and Co-chair of Cultural Outreach for Indiana Partners since 2012.  He was a talented pianist, organist, and carillonneur.  After selling his employment placement business and art gallery, he served as a dance accompanist at Butler University for many years and organized and played for many community churches, celebrations, and events. 

 

From a simple curiosity about Brazilian music that lead him to Partners, Bill Engle developed a fascination for Brazilian culture and dance that led to his immersion in Partners activities.  He not only traveled extensively to Indiana’s Partner state, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to make music and dance presentations and organize exchange programs, but he also traveled across the US and Brazil to enrich the entire Partners hemispheric network in the arts and education. Bill always gravitated to opportunities to mentor and support novice dancers, students and musicians, and Youth Ambassadors with the Partners program in the Brazil and US. 

 

In 2011, Bill was a pathfinder for Partners in expanding and moving our annual Brazilian Feijoada event to Butler University.   Bill’s last four years were consumed with creating, developing, funding, and nurturing his most ambitious project, Dance PARTNERS. This has been a multi-year, international dance and music collaboration through Partners of the Americas in the US and Brazil that premiered its first work, Colaboração, at Indy Fringe in 2012.

 

At the Feijoada in 2014, Bill introduced the Canta Brasil youth empowerment program, founded by his good friend and Brazilian dance partner in Colaboração, Rubielson Medeiros. This program helps kids in poverty through dance and music to achieve education, self-dignity, discipline, and life objectives. 

 

Bill exemplified true servant leadership and citizen diplomacy in his service to Partners of the Americas.  He observed the talents of friends and colleagues, listened to their aspirations and put his unique talents to work in connecting young people with the arts. His work was always to support them and help them realize their dreams.  He will be greatly missed, and we are committed to continuing the important work he began for children and young adults in Brazil.

 

Celebrating Bill’s Life

 

A celebration of Bill’s life will be on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Harry Moore Funeral Chapel, 8151 Allisonville Road, with the calling from 12 pm to 2:00 pm, concluding with a formal service at 2:00 pm.  There will be refreshments afterwards where Bill’s friends and colleagues can share their stories and interactions they had with Bill over the years. Memorial contributions to continue Bill’s work with youth can be made to Indiana Partners of the Americas at: www.inpartners.org or by contacting: Jhani Laupus, Partners VP at Jhani@comcast.net.

 

Donations

 

To make a donation to further Bill's legacy with partners and to support cultural and arts programs in the US and Brazil, please click on the monetary amounts below.

 

Thank you for your kind generosity.