William M. Plonk ’83

Bill died June 28, 2022. 

He was born in Columbia, S.C., and was raised on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, attending Woodberry Forest Academy. At Princeton, he majored in biology with a minor in the history of science, ran cross-country, and was an avid supporter of Outdoor Action.

After graduation, Bill attended medical school at the University of Virginia, then completed his geriatrics residency at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Bill’s contributions to medicine include a method to convert morphine dosages to methadone for palliative care. He emphasized evidence-based care to improve the process of dying, fighting for his patients’ quality of care over competing financial interests. 

In 2017, Bill completed the triple crown of hiking, having hiked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail, totaling 7,900 miles. He is one of only 525 people, and the first Princetonian, to do so.

Bill adopted his children’s passions with a special relentlessness: coaching soccer, becoming an expert on pitching, and years attending Avett Brothers New Year’s Eve concerts. His children remember Bill as an adventurer, an intellectual, but most of all, as a father, while his classmates will always remember his graciousness, generosity, empathy, and humor.

Bill is survived by his wife, Beth; and his children, John ’15, Natalie ’18, and Wilson.