Bill Rollins was my advisor when I was a student at CSM. I was still a student when he passed but didn’t know that he had passed away until today. He was such a caring and knowledgeable person who treated everyone he saw with respect and grace. He will truly be missed.

First I wanted to say my condolences to the family of Bill Rollins.  I was a student at CSM. I graduated with the encouragement with his guidance. I was struggling in certain classes, and thought I would never graduate. I am class of 2017 at CSM. Because of Bill I would have never graduated without his help and support. I was sadden by the news with the sudden loss of Bill. Always stopped by the college to say hello when I went to the library on campus. Prayers to the family.  

'Rollo' was so kind and supportive of me on 'Tennis Forum' - I went by the name of 'the computer' - we shared many laughs and he once gave me advice on where to eat in NY although I think he was from Washington - he was tremendously fair and professional and did a fantastic job on the "tennis forum' - the site will be so lost without him - I really relied on him for support and encouragement - he was a great person and I will miss him terribly - Graham

I have been a long time poster on an online internet forum called Tennisforum.com.

Micheal was a moderator of the Blast from the Past section under the username Rollo.

Micheal was a courteous, intelligent, warm in his daily interactions. Even though I did not physically meet him I felt I knew him well. His work on recording classic and vintage women's tennis matches will be a treasure trove for tennis enthusiasts for a long time.

His sudden passing shocked me to the core. 

I hope his family finds peace and knows that he truly touched several lives.

I was a student employee in Academics at CSM up until I graduated in 2015 and my desk was right outside of Bills office. He was always so kind and helpful! I used to enjoy our talks and if I ever needed any advice as a student I could count on him. Rest In sweet Peace. My prayers and condolences are with his loved ones.

For more than 20 years I have played tennis with Bill. I and our tennis community are very saddened to learn of the passing of Bill.  He was very competitive and an excellent team mate. I wish I had learned of his passing in time to attend the memorial service. He was a good friend and will be missed. I’m sorry not to be able to tell his parents and family in person. He will be missed. 

Am so saddened to hear about the Rollins’s loss. Billy was my closest tennis buddy for almost 10 years and I will miss the all out effort and attitude he always brought to the court. He had a way of scaring the living crap out of other teams by literally beating his back with his racquet after losing points where he didn’t fully follow through all the way. Will never forget the first time I saw him do it and the sound it made.  It didn’t hurt him but it was SO intimidating!!!  You were worried the next ball he hit was going to go right thru you.

Hope that he’s finally getting to play on grass courts (one of his dreams) in a better place. 

My deepest condolences to Mr. Bill family, friends and all the students at CSM that had the privilege of having him as their advisor. I heard today about Mr. Bill’s death while trying to schedule an appointment at CSM. I was speechless and extremely saddened to hear about his passing. I talked to him about my academic planning and graduation about two months ago, I am still processing the news. He was the best advisor I ever had at CSM, due to his emphatic, friendly and positive attitude. He will be missed and remembered by all, including myself. Rest In Peace Mr. Bill. 

My prayers and condolences to the Rollins family. I actually just received the news of Bill’s passing today when I contacted CSM to make a follow up appointment with him.  I just spoke to Bill a few months ago so this took me by surprise.  I’ve taken several classes with CSM over the last few years and always went to Mr. Rollins since he was familiar with Veterans Affairs. He was always so happy, bubbly, and always smiling.  Even when I ran into him a few times after work, his happy go lucky demeanor was always the same.  He will surely be missed. 

~Angela

Bill was first my academic advisor at CSM and later my co-worker. He always seemed to be enjoying a private joke, but he was too kind to ever laugh at the expense of others. On the other hand, he refused to take himself too seriously. We enjoyed talking about languages, and he took great joy in sharing the upset he once caused when he called a young lady friend from South Korea a term of endearment in the US that meant quite the opposite in Korean! His greatest joy was helping students accomplish their goals. We knew he always had our backs, and the same went for co-workers. Thank you, Bill, for believing in us more than we did ourselves.

ROLO,
I referred to him as ROLO and Bill would call me SWEETS!   You will be missed! Bill and I worked together for many years in ACS. Bill worked hard on behalf of the Students. He would go above and beyond to help a student. When students completed the Graduation Application he would have a personal graduation with each student in the Office Lobby.

 One of his goals was to be a contestant on Jeopardy. Rolo would spend hours reviewing.  Another thing you may not know about Bill, He had the best hearing of any human ever. Rolo could hear conversations down the hall. One late night while working we we swamped with students, I yelled from my office : Rolo can you help me see some of these students? He pretended not the hear me.  I blared the Jeopardy Music very loud from my computer.  He came running out of his office, looking confused.   I said: " ROLO, I knew you heard me calling you!".  ( I think that was the first time I ever saw him a little mad). I laughed right in his face, then he laughed.  We laughed until we were SILLY!  Needless to say, that was the beginning of our weekly Trivia conversations about LIFE!  
Bill was always willing to assist in any way possible.
  
Rest Easy ROLO!
Sweets!



I have had the privilege of knowing Bill for over 13 years. 
He would always welcome me with a smile when I visited the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) at the Waldorf Center while I worked at UMUC, then Towson University, then Notre Dame University.  In the last three years, I had the opportunity to work with him at CSM. We shared the love of traveling and cuisine from different countries.  We had a standing date to eat at the local Indian Restaurant which I will continue to do in his honor.  There are many things for which he will be remembered, but what I will never forget is his sense of humor, the love of working with students, and that smile.  He will be greatly missed.

I ‘m so thankful to have had the opportunity to know Bill during my time at CSM. Bill was never without a smile on his face or a pep in his step. Bill always went the extra mile for CSM students. Whenever it appeared a student might require mental health support, he’d personally escort them up to my office versus just telling them where I was located. Bill’s commitment to his role and to CSM students was unwavering and will be greatly missed! Rest In Peace Bill...🕊

I worked with Bill at the library when I first came at CSM in 2005. We worked the late shift and it was often just the two of us, so we had a lot of time to chat and become friends. I was applying to graduate school at the time and Bill was so genuinely excited for me. He loved talking about travel. He was such an enthusiastic and incredibly kind person. In the years since returning to CSM to teach, I always loved running into him on campus. He was a joyful, caring advisor who cared so deeply about students and their futures. I know he showed every student the same genuine enthusiasm he showed me back when we worked together. He has touched so many lives, and CSM will not be the same place without him. We were so  very lucky to know him.

Bill truly walked the walk and talked the talk at CSM-students were at the center of everything he did. He was consistently kind, witty, and wise.  Reading these wonderful memories and comments, I understand how many lives he touched in a powerful and positive way. 

 May we hold him in our hearts, keeping his spirit and guidance in our everyday lives.  May his memory be a comfort to us all.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all who are mourning this very sad and premature loss. 

Praying for all of Bill’s family, friends, and loved ones endlessly. 

Bill’s an inspiration to us all at the college. I used to tell him when advising I always tried to remember “What Would Bill Do” when meeting with students. He listened, was fully present in his conversations, and would do anything he could to help. He was a friend to all, never rushed a conversation, and always lived to teach. When I would bring him a problem, he would not only help me with the situation, but explain and teach me through it. If I had never done something, he would say well today’s the day you’re going to learn. We used to sit next to each other in meetings and when I would get a little too passionate, he’d always be there to give me a little kick to tell me I made my point already and stop while I was ahead. I’ll miss those kicks, his smile, words of advice, stories of his travels, and his heart. 


I will never forget his welcoming personality every time I saw him.  He  will be missed dearly by his colleagues.  My thought and 
prayers to his family.

Bill was the heart of the advising office.  He made time for everyone and even though he would have a line of people waiting for him, he never rushed a conversation.  Bill always greeted me with a smile on his face and positive words.  I will miss his advise and camaraderie.  He embodied "service to others" and did it to perfection.  I'll miss you Bill!
Shelby

Hi Rollins Family, 
2000 characters is not enough space to express my sadness & share memories with you. I'm sorry I can't come to the service this weekend, but know I'm with you. Bill opened my eyes to so many things, and while we didn't see each other often, we kept in touch through Lynn M. and we always just picked up where we left off. He was one of the few men I always considered to be like a big brother to me. I will miss him, but know he made a big splash and impact on so many of us in so few years. My love to you all. 
Enclosed is a photo from around 2007 with me, our friends Craig & Lynn, and Craig's daughter, and my son. (The kids are adults now!) It was always a joy to be with him. He's going to be SO missed. 
--Dani (Dabrowski) Villegas

I'll continue to pray for the comfort of Bills family, friends, students and colleagues! He truly will be missed by all!

I am heartbroken but consider myself one of the lucky ones!!  Having known Bill for years, I saw the passion he held in helping his friends, students and colleagues!  It made him a better person and touched all of us who were fortunate enough to work with him side-by-side.  I recall students would not see another academic advisor and would frankly wait weeks to see Mr. Bill, Mr. Bill. 

Bill’s entire body would light up when he talked about his next travel adventures.  I specifically recall a time when he had thought about returning to China to teach English as a Second Language which he had completed years prior.  Some of the stories he shared in the office had us in tears of laughter.   Although, he could simply make me laugh while I watched him turning into the office parking lot on two wheels, running into the office wearing his tennis garb.  I chuckled when he would have his office window opened and the rest of us were freezing.  I don’t know if anyone ever knew he had his window cracked during all the seasons even winter.   He loved the fresh air as much as he loved playing tennis.

Wow!  I just cannot believe it.  He is gone!  He was an incredible friend, an amazing guy and will truly be missed!


Dear Rollins Family,

Bill will be missed at the College of Southern Maryland. I only worked with Bill for four years. Bill always took the time to work out issues with students whose classes were not what they expected. Bill had an excellent relationship with the faculty and the Registrar's office to correct any random mistake that was made. On a personal note Bill helped both of my young men get into classes, when they needed support.

Bill and I shared a random love of Diet Pepsi. There is still an open bottle of Diet Pepsi in the AD 2nd floor fridge that I refuse to throw away. Bill was loved and he will be missed. His spirit will continue to live through me as I continue to serve our students at CSM.

Working with Bill at CSM always brought a smile to my face.  He had a great sense of humor and we both knew we would always laugh at each other's jokes - even the bad ones!  I so appreciated the fact that he put students first and always came to me with a solution rather than a problem.   He was creative, energetic, and  touched so many students' lives.  He will be greatly missed both personally and professionally.  

Dear Rollins Family,
I pray you can be comforted by knowing how beloved Bill will always be to those of us who shared our days at CSM with him. Without fail, he was always kind, caring, and ready to bring a big dose of happiness to those around him.  He was my walking buddy and my “go to” guy whenever I needed help. When a student met with Bill to apply for graduation, he would step into the main office and announce that another student had met their goal so we could all cheer and applaud! His life touched so many! Thanks for the laughs and pure joy my friend. God Bless.
Love, Knit Wit (my nickname from Bill)

This is such a tremendous loss. While we didn’t know each other well, I was honored to serve on a recent academic task force with Bill and witness his talents, dedication to our students, and bright personality. The sentiments shared thus far echo the profound impact Bill has had on our students and colleagues. He was truly a remarkable human being fueled by the passion to see everyone succeed, and I am grateful to have experienced his warm and genuinely kind spirit. To Bill’s family and friends, please know I am lifting you up during this difficult time and pray that fond memories provide comfort and peace in the days ahead. 

Bill, you always made the sun shine brighter and I loved you for that.  Glad I saw you a couple months ago out and about enjoying life.   Your service to our students was amazing.  You will be missed more than you can imagine.

I worked with Bill when I first started at CSM in the CSM Library. Bill welcomed me with open arms and was the most warmest and friendliest person I'd ever met. We both got separate jobs at CSM but it was always a conversation when we ran into each other on campus. He will be missed. My condolences to the family.

Tracy Mason

As my advisor, Bill helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life. As my colleague, he was always a friendly face with a kind word no matter how hard the day. I wasn’t fortunate enough to know him closely, but every little interaction made it clear he was a good man. He’ll be missed.

Bill, your light will forever shine in the hearts of all who knew you. You were my 40's music buddy and an amazing work colleague. I will never forget you. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends.

My Condolences, 
Cloey

Bill was one of the kindest souls I knew at the college.  Whenever one of my students would say "oh, my advisor is so nice," or "my advisor is the best," I always knew they were talking about Bill. I'm really going to miss hearing him call me CDC- that made me smile every time. There are some folks that really embody what you strive for at a college, and Bill was one of those people.  We won't be the same without him.

Bill and I were office neighbors for 3 years in Academic Advising. We had many conversations about his travels, the artifacts in his office, and his family.  I'm grateful to have met him and shared the time with him that I did. My condolences to the Rollins family.  His light will shine in our hearts forever. 

We are all heartbroken to learn of Bill’s passing.  He was a beloved friend and coworker and I will miss him.  During our conversations he shared with me his love for tennis, travel and all sorts of favorite foods.  He made a great trivia game for all of us in the office and we all enjoyed his emcee skills.  I pray for comfort for his family and friends during this time and am thankful that I got to know him.

OBITUARY

William James Rollins

February 5, 1965 – April 6, 2021

Huntt Funeral Home

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Memorial Service Huntt Funeral Home, Waldorf, Maryland