News

Obituary: William R. “Bill” Eubank

May 11, 2022

William R. “Bill” Eubank, 76, died in Beijing, China on May 5, 2022. He was born on August 28, 1945 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Bill, an Eagle Scout of Raytown, MO Troop 145, received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas, and his Master’s degree in Education at Emporia University Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas. He began his teaching career at a correctional institution for juveniles in Kansas. Moving to Alaska, he first taught at McLaughlin Youth Center, 1968-1969, Anchorage, AK; Belkofski Elementary School, 1969-1971; on the Aleutian Peninsula, AK; St. George Elementary School, 1971-1973, on St. George Island, Pribilof Islands, AK; and Sand Point School, 1973-1977, Sand Point, Popof Island, Shumagin Islands, AK. Bill served on the Sand Point School Board and was also a member of the Alaska State Board of Education for four years, serving as its president in 1987.

Bill took a leave of absence from teaching to build and become the primary owner and manager of several apartment complexes in Sand Point: The Pines, Harborview, Ocean View, and West View. He also built a small grocery store, Village Green, and a service station.

Leaving Alaska, Bill returned to teaching at various educational facilities. In 1988, he took an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) position for three years at a teacher training college in Kunming, China, teaching English to students whose first language is not English. Between 1991 and 1995, he taught Vietnamese refugees at James Bowie High School, Arlington, Texas. He again taught EFL programs in Argentina and Yucatan, carried out by Rotary International. From 2004 to 2011, he worked at Michigan State University at the Visiting International Professional Program as a programmer coordinator for South America. Since 2011, he had lived and taught EFL in China. He was also a webmaster for Pro Lingua.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. William R. and Adelaide (Dickson) Eubank; and his first wife, Margaret Laholt Eubank.

Bill is survived by his wife, HongZia (Wang) in Beijing, China; his sons Donald E. Eubank of Sand Point, AK; and Chris Eubank, Junction City, KS; daughters Jennifer Eubank, Kodiak, AK, and Amy Eubank, Sand Point, AK; brother, Donald A. Eubank of Anchorage, AK (Carol) and sister Adelaide Currier (Glen) of Grand Junction, CO; three grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren in Alaska; a nephew and niece and great nephews and nieces in Grand Junction, CO.

Bill’s son, Donald E., his brother, Donald A., and sister, Adelaide were fortunate to visit Bill in China, where he and HongXia, were gracious and knowledgeable guides, teaching them about the history and culture of several cities there. Bill will be missed, and his memory will live on through his students and his family.