When the curtain rises on the 24-25 season of the Hernando Symphony Orchestra, it will be dedicated to a member who honored the Hernando arts community with his vast creative talents and sublime leadership skills. William Yerrick of Weeki Wachee died June 20, 2024; leaving behind a legacy of artistic achievement and high regard from friends and colleagues.
“Bill was a member of the Hernando Symphony on string bass for over 20 years,” said Michele DiLuzio, conductor of the Hernando Symphony Orchestra. “He was an accomplished musician who easily adapted to our new style of pop music that I brought to the orchestra when I became conductor in 2014.”
Beyond being a great musician, DiLuzio characterizes Yerrick as an exemplary person. “He was a sweet and gentle soul with quite the sense of humor,” she said. “Bill loved playing in the Hernando Symphony and also served on our board for many years as both a board member and president. I will deeply miss his grace, smile, wit and presence.”
Yerrick was also highly active in the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, at one point serving as the group’s chair. “I first met Bill Yerrick in 2016 when I joined the Hernando County Fine Arts Council,” said Beth Putnam, past chair of the Hernando County Fine Arts Council. “Bill had been on the Council since 2013 and brought so much wisdom and experience to help us support the arts.”
And, according to Putnam, Yerrick served as a unifying force between various art forms in Hernando County—and their practitioners. “Because he was a musician in the Hernando County Symphony, Bill deepened the Council’s support of the musical arts,” she said, “resulting in the 2018 Fourth of July Band Shell Bash, featuring the symphony.”
In all ways, says Putnam, Yerrick was a community leader. “Bill became Council chair in 2018 and I served as his vice-chair,” she said. “Bill’s experience on the Radford City Council (Virginia) and on Hernando’s County Ordinance Advisory Team was invaluable to the Council in spearheading a 2020 feasibility study to determine if the County was ready to support a dedicated facility to support and showcase the arts in the county.”
Putnam is very grateful for the talents and contributions of Bill Yerrick. “I am so grateful to have served with Bill,” she said. “We could always count on his wisdom, thoughtfulness, organizational skills, and sense of humor to help the Hernando County Fine Arts Council support the arts community of Hernando County.”
Allisa Babor, Hernando County Fine Arts Council Chair, acknowledges the leadership and mentorship of Bill Yerrick. “Bill will be truly missed. He was there during my first years on the council and always guided me (and our whole group) with kindness, encouraging the council’s growth and leading with an open mind in hopes of a great future for the arts in Hernando County,” she said. “He believed in the artists in our area and knew one day we would be a thriving arts community.”
Yerrick, she says, played a vital role in the divine evolution of the current Hernando arts scene. “Thanks to his service and dedication,” she said, “we have gotten to that place and will continue for years to follow.”
Artist and past arts council chair Emilio Sonny Vergara, along with his wife Pam, submitted a statement of tribute to The Hernando Sun in honor of William Yerrick. “I came to know Bill during my stint with the Hernando County Fine Arts Council. He was a dear friend and a great contributor to the resurrection and continuing success of the Arts Council during the years of our working together,” it read. “His good will, humor, and boundless energy will be missed. We offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and loved ones. May his memory be a blessing.”
This New York native, according to his obituary, came from a family of musicians and began playing the String Bass in the fifth grade. During his school days, his musical sextet, Moderne Strings, claimed the top prize for Wellsville Central School in the Wellsville Talent Show. He earned a BA from Lynchburg College, an MS in Communications from the State University of New York, and an Ed.S in Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin. Later, he served Radford University in Virginia as the Director of Telecommunications and an Associate Professor of Communication. He is credited with spearheading the creation of radio station WRRC, which began broadcasting from Radford College in 1978.
He moved to Florida in 2005, served on the Hernando County Ordinance Advisory Team, and volunteered at Oak Hill Hospital.
In Yerrick’s memory, a fund has been established at Radford University to advance the communications and broadcasting education of students. Donations can be made by check, mailed to Radford University Foundation PO Box 6893 Radford VA, 24142 (please include a note “In Memory of William Yerrick”) or online at https://connect.radford.edu/give (please be sure to use the “fund drop-down” menu and select the: William “Bill” Yerrick Fund).
“We have lost a wonderful person,” said Putnam.
