Bill Adrian – A Profile in Friendship

GCI member Al Doshna (left) remembers the colorful Bill Adrian (right), good client and supporter of our church in times past – see "My Most Unforgettable Senior" in Archives for more.

I first met Bill Adrian in the mid '80's on my way to a dental appointment. I was walking up the spiral stairway in the Colonade Mall on Lake Street in Pasadena, California, as he was coming down the stairs with a young lady beside him. Noticing my Syracuse t-shirt, he stopped and asked me if I was from Upstate New York.

I told him I was and that I had come out to California to pursue an acting career. He told me he was from there himself and a little bit about his modeling agency in the building. As we proceeded to our respective destinations, he invited me to stop by sometime, as he might be able to help out.

I would hardly imagine at the time that he would later become a close friend, mentor and father surrogate to me.

The Big Three

Bill started his teen modeling agency in Pasadena in 1946. He used to say that three businesses started up that year in the city: the Worldwide Church of God (and later its branch Ambassador College), 31 Flavors and his agency. Of the three, the first two would become multi million dollar corporations whereas his, well that's another story.

Beyond the humilty and seeming resignation, the fact is, he wouldn't have it any other way. Bill was a fighter. Although he would later have the opportunity to expand, the satisfaction he derived from seeing young people blossom before his eyes was something he would never part with.

Never Lay Low

For someone like myself, many miles from home and a broken one at that, this would seem to be better to adopt a lay-low approach. Bill, however, was probably the most fearless person I'd ever known. He'd lived by the seat of his pants rearing up a business from nothing and I needed his courage.

One time, after having made a number of bad decisions in a stressful situation, I felt it was best that I drop out of a school I had been attending for the last year. I received a letter from the owner of the school, a lady whom I had admired and was in awe of, and was afraid to open it for what it might contain. I called up Bill and told him about it. He said:

"Come on down and we'll get a bite to eat. Don't open it. I'll read it and tell you what it says."

After we had eaten, he asked for the letter and I handed it to him. He opened it, read it, and chuckled.

He briefly told me what it said and what I would need to tell her. I read it myself, and although it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, what he told me was the best way to handle a less than ideal situation. From that moment on, when faced with similar circumstances, I always thought back to Bill's advice and example.

Friend of Churches

Bill was also a friend and supporter of the old WCG and supplier of wholesome teen models for a variety of church publications, including many covers of Youth Magazine. He was always curious about our progress as a church.

According to Pastor Neil, "Bill said he would visit us for our Xmas concert back in 2009 and unlike so many people who say they will come 90 year old Bill actually showed up – with a friend, so he was a friend of ours all right as well as a devoted Head Usher at his St. Phillip's in Pasadena."

For an extremely shy person, to have frequent contact with beautiful young girls though an authoritative third party, taking away some of the social pressure, was a godsend. Also the chance to date and work with some of them was another confidence builder. Bill, I will never forget you.