Remembering the Late Bill McCurdy

Anytime we lose a member of the Bengal family, it sends shockwaves far and wide throughout the community here at Idaho State University. The loss of Bill McCurdy, a longtime contributor to our university and to those that wander the grounds was no exception to these powerful feelings of loss. 

William James McCurdy, born October 4th, 1947, and known to most as just “Bill” passed on October 4 of 2021 on his 74th birthday. He was born and raised right here in Pocatello and began his journey at ISU at a young age, taking campus visits with his John Greenleaf Whittier Elementary school class. He pursued Philosophy during his undergraduate time here at ISU, and then went on to earn an M.A. from the University of Hawaii. Beyond his commitment to studying in his classrooms, he sought out real-world experience beyond the world he knew here in the states and traveled to Japan and Taiwan, where he taught English and Philosophy for some time. He returned back to ISU in the year 2000 and taught full-time as an associate lecturer for the Philosophy department. Despite retiring a few years back, McCurdy remained committed to his teaching craft and returned earlier this academic year to teach an Asian Philosophy course. Many at ISU were touched deeply by the impact that he left on our campus, and today, those of us here at the Bengal want to share the special experiences that some of our ISU faculty shared after hearing the news of his friend’s passing — a time to reflect, mourn and reminisce on the presence that McCurdy carried throughout his time as a Bengal. 

James Skidmore, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Department Vice-Chair, and Director of Philosophy took his reflection of McCurdy with an emphasized focus on his teaching devotions and his commitment to helping others learn philosophy. Skidmore says “He was such a talented teacher, he clearly enjoyed teaching philosophy and working with students, and it showed. Philosophy is a difficult subject, and it’s often hard for students to see why they should care about the questions we investigate. But Bill had a way of connecting with students and getting them to see the urgency of these questions. His intellectual curiosity was extraordinary, and it was contagious with students.” 

McCurdy’s commitment to his students was something that was seemingly unmatched to the noticing eye around campus, and Skidmore continues to say that “Bill had a thorough command of philosophy, but he wore his knowledge lightly. He had such a positive and enthusiastic personality. Students could see he was the kind of professor–not just who they could talk to but who wanted to talk with them, whether it was outside of class in his office or at the coffee shop.”

Skidmore concluded his reflection with McCurdy’s strong connection to the area and the desire for strength through shared knowledge in his hometown. 

“I think his lifelong roots in the community are part of what made him such a good teacher. He really knew the students in a deep sense and knew how to connect with them. Students from the local community could sense that he was one of them” Skidmore says. 

Reflections of this great loss continued with comments from Russel Wahl, former ISU professor of Philosophy and longtime friend of McCurdy. An Idaho State Journal piece reads “Bill’s passing is both a tremendous loss for the school’s philosophy department as well as the Pocatello community”, and continues to address comments from Wahl. 

“I’ve known Bill since I came here in 1985,” Wahl said. “He was very interested in logic and studied the teachings of Charles Sanders Peirce, a 19th-century logician. Bill was a very interesting philosopher and a great conversationalist. I don’t know how we will replace him.” 

Ralph Baergan, another prominent figure within the ISU Philosophy department was happy to share some memories that he had with McCurdy. “I’ve worked alongside Bill McCurdy for more than 20 years; his office is next to mine. He was a great colleague and a good man. He had a scholar’s mind — always inquisitive, learning more, looking beneath the surface, raising objections, making new connections. I’ve learned a lot from him.” 

McCurdy’s sense of humor was as much a key identifier of his character as the beaten-up fedora-like cowboy hat that sat atop his head everywhere he went. Bargen recalls his comedic interactions with McCurdy and continues to say “I can’t count how many times I’ve rolled my eyes and groaned at one of his puns, or how often he’d announce his trip to the bathroom as ‘going to force another link in the great water cycle’. I miss him. It still hasn’t sunk in that we won’t ever chat again about his latest philosophical project, or Japanese temples, or any of the many things he found fascinating.” 

For those seeking solace in the written form while processing this great loss, Spencer Case, an international research fellow in Wuhan, China, freelance writer, ISU graduate/Pocatello native, and close friend to McCurdy wrote an insightful column in the ISJ on what it was like to know, love, and appreciate the man that was Bill McCurdy, titled “Goodbye, cowboy hat”. The family of McCurdy has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 4567 in Pocatello, ID 83205. 

The knowledge McCurdy possessed in abundance paired alongside the casual and comforting nodding of his worn-in cowboy hat will be greatly missed by many throughout the Bengal community. A life well lived and a life that will long be remembered is the life of Bill McCurdy.