William A. Wells “Bill”

1944-2021

William “Bill” Arthur Wells died on October 23, 2021 at his home in Telluride, Colorado, at the age of 77. A long-time resident of Telluride, Bill will be remembered by his many friends and family everywhere for his grace, kindness and geniality as well as for his athleticism. Bill was well-traveled but was most at home among friends in the mountains and rivers of Colorado.

Bill was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, on March 29, 1944, to Florence Barre Wells and Robert Orson Wells. After elementary schooling in local schools, Bill attended the Holderness School in New Hampshire, where he was a member of the Holderness ski team. He also skied in college and graduated from Middlebury College in 1966.

Bill served in the Vermont National Guard and, while he never saw any real action, the experience provided him with a considerable trove of good stories and he relished telling them. Over the years, he coached and taught skiing – both Alpine and Nordic – and also taught yoga. He was an accomplished kayaker, cyclist, and runner. He enjoyed mountain treks – on foot or on skis (or on a bike or on in-line skates) and, with friends, he once trekked the full length of the Colorado portion of the Continental Divide in support of making it a national scenic trail. He was also an enthusiastic singer and, at one time, he was a member of four different choral groups – one of which had even required an audition.

A resident of Telluride for close to 40 years, Bill loved the mountains, the rivers, the local community and particularly the many friends he had there. He also provided valuable service to his condo Board for many years. He enjoyed attending the annual Telluride film festival and regularly recommended films to family and friends. His taste in that regard was eclectic; a particular favorite of his was “Rams,” a 2015 film in Icelandic with subtitles about two eccentric brothers and their sheep.

A seasoned traveler, Bill traveled to Europe numerous times with friends and also with family members. He also spent time in India, Turkey, Tibet and Korea. In Nepal, he did the Manaslu trek just after it opened up. For over forty years, he maintained a daily meditation practice and enjoyed periodic Vipassana retreats. He headed East each summer for the annual family beach week in Rehoboth, Delaware, where he would fearlessly accompany grand-nieces and nephews on rides at Funland, enjoy beer flights at Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats, and complete long bike rides and dips in the ocean each morning before anyone else was up.

Bill and his sister were co-owners of the family business, Cascade School Supplies, Inc. located in his home town in Massachusetts.

Bill is survived by his sister, Jane Wells Molloy, and brother-in-law, J. Paul Molloy, of Silver Spring, Maryland; five nieces and nephews: Elizabeth, Robert, James, Sarah and Mark; their spouses; and eight grandnieces and nephews.

Bill will certainly be missed but he will be lovingly remembered by all who knew him.