William Dittrich Award
		Each year the WPRF presents this award to a community member who has dedicated themselves to enhancing and promoting parks and recreation in Whatcom County. Recipients of the William J. Dittrich award are recognized by leaf-shaped engravings placed in the Friends Grove at Big Rock Garden Park. Bill believed wholeheartedly that an active lay citizen organization is needed to support parks and recreation on the local, state, and national levels. The challenge is for each of us to continue in the spirit of Bill's leadership.
William "Bill" Dittrich
WPRF President, Daniel Tepper, presents the 2010 award to Richard Sturgill.		Past Award Recipients Chester Lackey,  2000 Rand Jack,  2000 David R. Syre,  2001 Michael McRory,  2001 Elaine McRory,  2001 Leslie Boswell,  2002 George Drake,  2003 Mary Ann Drake,  2003 David Drake,  2003 Carolyn Jonson,  2004 John Blethen,  2005 Ken Hertz,  2006 Joan Elsethagen,  2007 Fred Elsethagen,  2007 Jim Kaemingk, Sr.,  2009 Richard Sturgill, 2010 Paul Woodcock, 2011 Stephen Frank, 2011

About William "Bill" Dittrich

William Dittrich founded the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation in 1989 in collaboration with Roger DeSpain, who was then Whatcom County Parks Director.  Bill Dittrich served as president of the WPRF for 8 years, from 1989 to 1997.

Bill Dittrich was a physics professor at Western Washington University for 42 years. He was also someone who had a passion for parks and who was able to get things done.  He worked tirelessly to tune the direction of Whatcom County Parks into an ever larger vision.  At the same time he was the sort of “hands-on” person who would take time to pore over architectural drawings of park facilities to make sure they were done right.

In 1964, he was appointed to the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Board by the Whatcom County Commissioners. The Parks and Recreation Board was responsible for directing the activities and spending of the County Parks general funds. He served more than 25 years on the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Board, 12 of those years as Chairman. As Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Board for the County, he advocated for creating parks in Whatcom County, both salt water and fresh water, while it could be afforded, and he garnered support to move ahead with his vision.

William Dittrich is directly responsible for the existence of several of the most-used and best-loved parks and other public facilities in Whatcom County and its communities. Lake Samish Park, Silver Lake Park, Hovander Homestead Park, Plantation Rifle Range, and Lighthouse Marine Park (in Point Roberts) came into being through William Dittrich’s leadership. He got the Roeder Home into the historic register and received a national award for its restoration.  He worked with the Council on Aging to establish the eight currently operating senior centers (one in each major Whatcom County community), getting agreement from the public to fund the centers by passing a bond issue.  He also initiated the 1973 Jones & Jones study of the Nooksack River basin and secured funding for the study – never had a river been studied so well for parks and recreational opportunities.

William J. Dittrich died of cancer in 1997 at the age of 73.  He is survived by his second wife, Carol, four sons and one daughter. On May 10, 1998, the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation hosted an event, “Celebrating the Life of William J. Dittrich,” at the Big Rock Garden Park. The sculpture “Tree of Life” by artist Michael Jacobsen, was dedicated to Bill for his 33 years of accomplishments for local parks and recreation.