My fellow columnist Bill Flodberg earned a reputation around
Gilroy and beyond as teacher, coach, philanthropist, and
”
Running Man,
”
an expert on long distance running.
“The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
~ 2 Timothy 4:6-7, New International Version
My fellow columnist Bill Flodberg earned a reputation around Gilroy and beyond as teacher, coach, philanthropist, and “Running Man,” an expert on long distance running.
The Mount Madonna Challenge Run for the South Valley Symphony and the Reek Run for the Garlic Festival were just two of the many local races which he organized to benefit local arts and charities.
He completed his last Run for the Stinkin’ Rose just eight months ago and ran every day possible up until the accident that claimed his life last week at age 75. In his lifetime, he logged over 100,000 miles on foot.
Flodberg shared his expertise on running in a weekly Dispatch column for many years, writing over 500 articles for numerous publications.
“Flodberg’s Book On Running” hit the shelves in 1991. In it, he wrote about techniques to keep going in spite of setbacks, how to ameliorate pain, and how to approach running (and life) in a holistic way.
He described how gardening on his 3-acre property in San Martin made him a better runner and vice versa. He told stories about turning mishaps into opportunities, such as the time he missed a bus that only came once every two days, but ended up getting to know other world travelers whom he caught a ride with while backpacking in New Zealand.
A natural community-builder, Flodberg wrote numerous grant proposals to fund local artistic endeavors, and he promoted local arts events at every opportunity with his own time and money.
“To me, what made Bill unique and different was that although not an artist himself, he dedicated himself to supporting the local arts in our community and continued to do so year after year,” local artist Arline Silva said.
It was his determined effort to jump start the Fifth Street Live concert series that brought musicians to play on Friday nights in downtown Gilroy.
I know I’m not alone in saying that he always enthusiastically encouraged me to attend a concert or a show every time I saw him.
“Bill absolutely did not know the definition of the word ‘no,’ ” local musician Allen Douglas said. “He would walk into a business and the owner would just look up and ask, ‘How much do you want, Bill?’
He tried to keep it “anonymous,” but for years, he put up his own money for matching grant proposals in order to encourage others to donate towards a project, whether it be a mission project at his church, a benefit for the Gilroy and Morgan Hill schools where he taught, or a concert by the South Valley Symphony.
“He truly believed in the value of local artists,” Arline Silva said, “He supported the arts not for himself but with unselfish dedication on behalf of this community for over 30 years.”
Silva’s appreciation is echoed by Lori Franke, the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year. She credits Flodberg as the champion who won the founding grant for her award-winning South Valley Suzuki String program, which teaches violin to young people.
She was ready to give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but Flodberg singlehandedly overcame every challenge.
In the years since, her students have toured the globe and make a practice of playing “Let There Be Peace On Earth” at the end of each “friendship tour.”
It seems only fitting that artistic tributes are flooding in for Flodberg. South Valley Symphony’s concertmaster Beverly Blount performed a tribute at a memorial for him last Friday, as did Lori Franke’s violin students.
This coming Sunday morning, an instructor for The Music Academy, Andoni Bundros, will premiere a musical composition whose completion was inspired by Flodberg.
“Bill always gave,” Douglas said. “He practiced the opposite of typical human relations: he started at totally trusting others and went from there.”
In spite of health challenges, Flodberg had one last mountain he wanted to climb. Douglas helped him fulfill his dream of climbing Mt. Shasta shortly before he died.
“The impossible dream? He lived it,” Douglas described. “It was just normal to him.”
“Perhaps, those who have died have formed a running club somewhere in the Great Beyond,” Flodberg speculated, still striving to the end.
Running Man fought the good fight, kept the faith, and he always finished the race.
Kat Teraji writes a weekly local column featuring Gilroy people and events. Reach her with a story tip at ka********@gm***.com
