Bill Wilshire, architect, artist, linguist, and accomplished athlete, died Oct. 16, 2011, in Norfolk, Va.
A native of Cambridge, Mass., he attended Westminster School in Connecticut, where he excelled in sports. At Princeton, Bill played freshman baseball and freshman and varsity hockey. He majored in architecture and was a member of Cap and Gown. His Princeton career was interrupted in 1951 by four years of service in the Navy. He returned to graduate with a degree in architecture in 1957.
For the next 20 years he practiced in Norfolk then moved to Kitty Hawk, N.C., where he established his own firm. His professional achievements included award-winning designs for Norfolk Academy and Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, public buildings on North Carolina’s Outer Banks — especially a handsome visitors’ center — as well as top-of-the-line residences in Edenton, N.C.
Not confining himself to architecture, Bill became an accomplished portraitist whose paintings of family members were highly prized. He directed his wide-ranging mind to Victorian literature, jazz, foreign languages (he taught himself Italian), and rooting for the Boston Red Sox. Not neglecting his athletic skills, he was an excellent golfer and handball player.
Bill was married and divorced twice. He is survived by his former wives, three children, and four grandchildren.