This is devastating news. Bill was such an incredible member of the community and dedicated countless hours (as a volunteer) to promoting the sport. He will definitely be missed.
This is a great loss and condolences to his family. Bill Roe was instrumental in guiding Club NW and directing a half-century of all-comers meets during the summer in the Seattle, WA area making a near 200-mile round trip Wednesday evenings from Bellingham, WA.
https://www.clubnorthwest.org/all-comers/
Even as President of USATF during an Olympic year he would appear at the all-comers meets which offered T&F events for kids and then shifted into a well run track and field meet where heats were assigned by whatever time you put down. Apparently, his favorite event was the 4x1 relay, where he would announce that they didn't care about the exchange zones just get the baton around. "If you want to run farther than your teammate, that's your problem."
It would be interesting to post where and how long all-comer meets in your area have been running. I know there has been an all-comers meet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota started by Lincoln High School Track/CC coach Rich Greeno in the late 1960s, that may still be going.
Bill will be greatly missed, but helping to give T&F opportunities to thousands of young and old athletes for decades is an amazing contribution.
What a huge loss. I ran my first All-comers meet in 1973 and those races have been a core feature of my running career all through the decades. He was a major advocate for the rank-and-file runners at every level. The guy had a dry, gruff demeanor but a heart of gold; one of the major positive influences of my life. We all will miss you, Bill.
Very sad to hear. He was a big, positive force in the PNW scene for everyone involved. I remember him at Club Northwest events when I was in HS and WWU meets during college. Great guy!
In my opinion he was also one of the best meet announcers in the country. Great tone, interesting facts about almost all the competitors, very knowledgable, kept it interesting and active without talking too much.
Tremendously sad. He was the backbone of the running scene in the PNW and a super nice guy.
Really sad to hear the news. Truly dedicated himself to Track and Field. RIP Bill.
As someone whose running career all took place in Seattle in the 1970s and ‘80s - high school, UW, CNW - I saw Bill go from a local fixture rolling up his sleeves to set up hurdles at all-comer meets to later taking on national leadership roles for the sport he loved so much.
Unlike many who gravitate to those positions, Bill’s motives were pure: it was all about giving back to the sport, not about the power or ego. He was a genuinely nice guy and will be deeply missed by the thousands of athletes who came to know him over the years. Rest In Peace.
I met Bill Roe when my friend and I were measuring courses early 1980s in the Seattle area, and when he was hosting and timing the weekly low key races around Green Lake in Seattle, which was my favorite place to run at the time. He also supported and hosted many races in the area. I remember Bill as being a good fellow, very helpful and easy to talk with. Bill Roe RIP.
Apologies. In my post above, I was attempting to provide a link to the Club NW website and didn't realize that it would pop up with a photo who is NOT Bill Roe. But check out the weblink anyway.
Damn. My first interaction with Bill was in 1972. I had won the HS mile at one of Bill's summer all-comers meets at Husky Stadium, but I had let up before the finish line.
"Run all the way through the finish," he gently chided as I walked away.
Bill was the brain and heart of NW running and T&F. His yearly series of summer all-comers meets gave T&F athletes all the motivation they needed to keep training through the summer.
Driving down I-5 to Husky Stadium with my track buds on a brilliant NW summer day, the top down on our Corvair convertible, a pole-vault pole sticking out the back.
I owe Bill for so many of my life's best memories.
Huge loss to pac northwest track community. Anyone who has ever ran in the all comer meets can remember Bill and what has meant for track here.
Was he any relation to Taylor Roe, who ran so well for Kamiak and Lake Stevens High Schools?
That's my college coach. The man lived a great life and I'm grateful to have known him. I owe a lot of my running success to his coaching. And my 1500 & mile PRs were run at his All-comers meets.
This is terribly sad news for the PNW running community. Bill was my college coach and I owe a lot of my passion for distance running to him, simply through osmosis.
He was a great coach but a better friend; always generous with his time, energy and knowledge. He let me travel with him on several World XC and T&F trips as a "fan" and always let me crash the team USA hotels; I'd sleep on the floor of his room and he would encourage me to be part of team for the weekend. So gracious!
You'll be sorely missed Billy boy!
I didn't know him well, but I was a participant at several All-Comers meets over the years, and he seemed like such a generous guy. RIP.
Got to know him at USATF national conventions in the 1990s. He was always reasonable, efficient and friendly. He was an easy guy to like. RIP
Bill was a great guy and was dedicated to the sport from the grass roots level all the way up. His founding of Club NW and the All-Comers track and field meets were a huge success for the Seattle community.
One of the most fun events he had at the track meets was the "Joggers Mile" where you predicted your finish time over a mile. When chronograph watches were invented and began to be common he reminded everyone to take their watches off before the race started.
He sounds like a great guy. Anyone know what he died of? 69 is pretty young but the coronavirus is up in that area.