William Arthur Sievert's Obituary
William (Bill) Arthur Sievert lived with a passion as deep as it was rich. His family, many loved ones and all the causes he championed are poorer for losing him. Bill died November 19, 2017.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur William Sievert, Jr. Bill was born March 14, 1947 in Louisville, Kentucky. He is survived by his husband and partner of 44 years, John Theis; his sister, Barbara Sievert Atkinson (Morgan); two nieces, Kerry Beth Novotny (Dave), Shara Marie Szott (Tim), four great nephews and his loving dog Zak.
Bill met and fell in love with John in San Francisco in 1973. They later lived in Washington DC, Rehoboth Beach, DE and Mount Dora FL. At every stop they owned successful businesses and made many lifelong friends.
Bill always embraced the pursuit of equality for all. Bill’s writing offered a window to his passion for justice. He was an award-winning journalist as well as a writer of fiction in later years. His journalism career began at Trinity High School in Louisville where he was editor of the school newspaper. He was later editor of the student paper at Ohio University during the turbulent 60’s. After successful stints as a writer or editor with the Louisville Times, Mother Jones, Rolling Stone, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Washington Post and the Advocate, Bill decided to pursue another passion as well—business! With John, Bill operated shops that had many different names and locations but were all marked by their signature love of whimsy, cutting edge décor, fashion, and a slight bit of outrage.
The successful businesses allowed Bill to continue pursuing his passion for politics and justice. His book “All for the Cause” showcased his remarkable collection of political buttons collected from his many campaigns. Bill wrote countless columns and essays which raised consciousness. He put his feet on the bricks too, always willing to organize, demonstrate and rally. In recent years he worked in Lake County to form a gay/straight alliance and an anti-bullying program in the schools. He co-founded Pulse Magazine as well as volunteering for Lake Cares Food Pantry.
Bill’s passion was not restricted to family, work and politics. He was one of the founders of the Rehoboth Beach Film Festival and the Rehoboth Jazz Festival. His love of music included many genres over many decades. Without doubt at the top of the list was Del Shannon, 60’s pop icon and singer of such hits as “Runaway”, “Hats Off to Larry” and “Sea of Love”. A verse from “Sea of Love” went like this:
Come with me my love To the sea, the sea of love I want to tell you How much I love you
Bill’s good life and his countless kind actions told us all how much he loved us. He is now in the sea of love and we will miss him.
There will be a celebration of life in early February.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Equality Florida or the Foundation For A Smoke-Free America.
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