Bill Bonyun

William Austin Lippencott Bonyun was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 15, 1911. We don’t know much about Bill’s early years. As a child in Brooklyn he remembers hearing street songs and ditties, and Irish music on the radio.

Just out of college, Bill travelled to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, where he fell in love with coastal Nova Scotia, its people and its sailing ships. Later in life, he would produce books and records on sea songs and sailing ships.

On a trip back to the New York City area, Bill met Eugenia (Gene) Benedict. They were married in March, 1941. Bill was 30, Gene 29. They were soul mates, and raised three children, Steve, Archie, and Paul. Gene sang on their record albums.

In October 1971, bill met Alan Furth, and they formed a lasting partnership. They started a nonprofit organization, Traditional Arts in Education, and the record label Heirloom Records. The organization became Cobscook Community Learning Center (CCLC) in 1999.

Bill continued working into his late 80s. Among his other accomplishments, he cofounded and directed Treasure Hunt, Maine’s first arts-in-the-schools project, and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Bill died in August, 2001. A few hundred people came to his memorial in Bath, and played, sang, and told stories into the night. Dozens more posted their fondest memories of Bill on line.

Excerpt from biography by John W Scott, 2017.