The Wilmington College campus was saddened to learn of the death of Emeritus Professor of Mathematics William “Bill” Kincaid, Sr., on Sunday (Dec. 14). He had been in declining health with congestive heart failure and had recently spent two weeks in the hospital. He was at home surrounded by his loving family when he passed.
In sharing news of Kincaid’s death on Sunday, Campus Minister Nancy McCormick said, “Bill was treasured by students and fellow co-workers, and was a real testimony of what being part of the Wilmington College institution was all about. Let’s hold Bill’s family in love and tender care.”
Kincaid retired in 2019 as a professor of mathematics after a record 50 years as a full-time faculty member. He continued to teach part-time in WC’s Prison Education Program as recently as this fall semester. The Warren, Ohio, native joined the faculty in 1969 after instructing high school math for several years.
“Mathematics promotes rational thinking and problem-solving techniques, which carry over into other areas,” he said about the importance of math education. “How do you approach any problem? You should do it systematically.”
President Corey Cockerill fondly remembered Kincaid as a valued friend, as well as a fellow faculty member and for his ongoing relationship with the College, both as a financial supporter and a regular attendee at WC’s sports, cultural and Quaker-related programs. But her initial recollection of him dates back years before she joined the faculty in 2008.
“The first time I heard about Bill Kincaid was through Tate (her husband),” Cockerill said, noting that he was one of Kincaid’s students in the late 1990s. “Tate spoke so fondly of him – especially Bill's rare ability to take very difficult math concepts and explain them in a way that truly made sense. Bill had a gift for communicating complex ideas with clarity and patience.”
The president added that, “Later, as a faculty member in communication arts, I remember Bill coming to me and my colleague, Dorothy, to ask if we could help him record a musical endeavor. He was planning to sing a song to his beautiful bride of 50 years as an anniversary gift. I don't remember this song itself, but I do remember how much care he put into it – how he practiced, and may have even taken lessons, all to offer her this deeply personal tribute.”
Cockerill later learned that Kincaid was the founder and first coach of the College’s cross country team, “which helped explain his steadfast presence at running events long after his retirement,” she said. “Regardless of the conditions – cold, rain, wind or snow, or even the distance he had to travel to get to the meet, Bill attended indoor and outdoor track and field meets and cross-country events alike. He was a strong supporter of the running community and a dedicated advocate for Quaker athletics overall, with a particular affinity for Wilmington's runners.” She often found herself seated in the bleachers near Kincaid and his son, Russ, a WC professor, cheering on the team.
“Bill meant a lot to me, and I truly valued our time together,” she added.
PICTURED: In fall 2018, Bill Kincaid reviews a math concept with then-seniors T.J. Burbage and Kayla Marrero.
Kincaid earned a Fulbright Fellowship in 1992, for which he taught at two colleges in Reykjavik, Iceland, and he spent a year-long faculty sabbatical in Arizona, where he taught at Diné College in the Navajo Nation. He also taught for many years at the College’s former Cincinnati Branch and instructed 62 sections of algebra at Lebanon Correctional Institution in the early years of WC’s Prison Education Program.
Kincaid started the College’s cross country program in 1972 and, two years later, took over the track and field program, coaching either or both of the sports for 13 years. He was a long-time supporter of Quaker sports.
He and his wife of 61 years, Penny, are the parents of six children: Bill, Jr. (WC Class of 1986), Jeanne ’93, Sonja ’11, Jesse, Nathan and Russell, the latter of whom is a professor of mathematics and physics at WC. They have numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Also, the couple welcomed 15 foster children into their home near New Vienna for various periods of time between 1984 and 2002.
Services will be held on Saturday (Dec. 20) at Wilmington Friends Meeting, 66 N. Mulberry St., Wilmington. The family will receive visitors from 2 to 4:30 p.m., followed by a celebration of life service. The College and Kincaid’s family have created a new designation on Give Campus, raising funds to name WC’s cross country course "The Bill 'Chet' Kincaid Memorial Trails." The link below goes directly to the site.