Many Strawberrians are grieving the loss of dear friend and fellow staff member, Bill Wollner. There are very few amongst us who have a longer work history than Bill, having started with the Garbage and Recycle crew at Strawberry’s second festival at Camp Mather in 1983.
Bill met Mitch Third (Strawberry’s beloved Festival Manager of nearly 40 years) while visiting Stockton in the late 70’s after having just moved to California from Kansas. They bonded instantly over Mitch’s time playing college basketball for Kansas State University. Not long after, Mitch told Bill that there was a job opportunity working with him in the groundskeeping department at San Joaquin Delta College. Bill retired from Delta College approximately 30 years later as the head groundskeeper.
Meanwhile, Bill had been invited to come and work at the first Strawberry at Leland Meadows in 1982, but could not make it because of a family reunion. To our knowledge, he never missed a festival from that point forward. He spent the vast majority of his time at Strawberry in a leadership role with the Garbage and Recycle crew.
Members of Garbage and Recycle have always been tight and share a rich and meaningful crew culture. They camp and hang together. This is true now of 2nd gen family members, along with new friends, just as much as it was back in the day, with legacy members we lost along the way. Many will remember seeing Bill pal around Camp Mather with his dearly departed friend and co-lead, Bob Smith (who always wore a red clown nose), along with Bob’s partner Joni Leonard. Our hearts are with the many other longtime crew members who are active to this day and are especially affected by this loss, including Bill’s dear friend and cohort of many years, Craig Brautigam.
Keeping Strawberry clean has always been an important part of our shared ethos. The location of each refuse station was chosen to best serve our collective needs and Garbage and Recycle crew members service them diligently throughout the festival. They enjoy being together so much that you may not even realize how hard they are working when you see them moving large bags of garbage and recycling around the grounds. As we approach the first festival without our dear friend and maestro of refuse removal, let’s all remember to say hello, thank you, and let the Garbage/Recycle crew know that they are loved.
We certainly hope that Bill knew how much he was loved at Strawberry and beyond. He will be missed by many, including fellow members of the Port Stockton Motorcycle Club where he was an active member of AMA District 36 for many years. Please join us in sending Strawberry love and this offering of our deepest condolences to Bill Wollner’s vast circle of family and friends.
Please stay tuned for more stories and photos from friends as well as information to be posted when a memorial service has been planned.
“I’d like to share the following photographs of Bill Wollner, who I loved dearly. In fall 2003, I pitched in to collect garbage and at the end of the festival was put in a photograph and given $50 gas money. In spring 2004 when Bill asked me (in front of about six bystanders) if I wanted to officially join the crew, I took three large steps across the circle and planted a big kiss on his right cheek, nary a word spoken. I’ve been back ever since!”
Thank you to Turd’L Ed Larue for sharing this story and the photos below.
