Bill Haust ’82 is a globetrotter – literally. If Bill isn’t running a race in Boston, New York, or California, he might be found trying to beat his time in Poland, Tahiti, Paris, or London. If you have no luck locating him there, perhaps try a course in Detroit, Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, St. John, Barbados, or Bermuda. Over the past fourteen years, Bill has crossed 100 marathon finish lines and only slightly fewer time zones, often raising money for charitable causes. This year, he marked the completion in Mississauga, Ontario, of his 100th marathon, this time raising funds for arthritis research, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Running seven or eight marathons every year can be trying, both physically as well as psychologically, and Bill concedes that his family’s support is an important factor in his motivation and success, both on the course and off. His voice brims with cheerful nostalgia when he recalls being greeted by Judy, his wife, at the 32-km mark, and completing the marathon with her by his side.
Whether he is training for a race, fulfilling his duties as Vice President of The Bargain! Shop, or reminiscing about his days as a student at Windsor Law, Bill is generous when it comes to acknowledging those that have helped him achieve his goals. In Bill’s case, he is quick to point out that nobody has helped him more than the women in his life. He is deeply thankful to both his wife and his mother for their support, especially when it came to earning his legal education. “In a nutshell,” Bill explains, ”without them, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy everything I’ve been able to enjoy in life.”
It was in honour of these two women that Bill recently established (on Mother’s Day) the DR. M DARIA HAUST AND E JUDY HAUST BURSARY. This bursary was created to help female law students, who are raising children while pursuing their legal degrees. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, and I thought it was a fitting way to commemorate what they did for me in terms of allowing me to go to law school,” Bill says of his wife and mother. “I’m very thankful for what they’ve done for me.” As he sees it, “someone with the drive to go to law school should not be denied that opportunity for financial reasons.” Bill is also eager to help Windsor law students get the most out of their time at a school that did so much for him. He is one of the prominent members of the Class of 1982 which established the CLASS OF 1982 LEADERSHIP AWARD at its 25th Reunion. “My years at Windsor were probably three of the best years of my life, including the birth of our first child during the Family Law exam, … from which I was excused!” says Bill. “I’ve had a very good life, but all these years later, those years at Windsor still stand out.”
First impressions might make it seem that he is a man who will not rest. He has run 100 marathons, after all, and can’t wait for the next. In reality, however, Bill is a man who is awed by the sacrificial mentality of those ready and willing to accomplish or facilitate greatness, and he won’t rest until he has paid tribute to them and in doing so, helping others benefit from Windsor Law.
Story by Laura Elinson Elman