William Biederman Obituary

Hard to believe you´ve been gone 12 years. You are still missed, old friend.
Tom Waters

I met Bill in our first year of law school. His calm demeanor belied his energetic mind. His ready smile and bright eyes were always shared along with his practical advice--advice which I often sought, and always appreciated. I loved Bill and can only imagine his family's feeling of loss.

I continue to think fondly of Bill who was bright, nice, clever and so much more....such a loss.

Bill was Trustee at the Seattle Steam Company for more than 20 years. During his tenure he not only took the company though the many challenges of that time period but he made deep and lasting friendships with many of the employees. His vision of a strong Seattle Steam never faltered over time and his last decision to transition the company from being a fossil based energy provider to a renewably fuelled energy provider positioned the company for the next 100 years, a legacy that was reflected in June when the Seattle Steam Company named its new wood fuel storage and handling building the Biederman Pavilion.

Stan Gent
President and CEO
Seattle Steam Company

I had the immense pleasure of working with Bill at Seattle Steam initiating a green project in the State of Washington. He was always there with not only the legal approach but more importantly, the right approach, to solving problems. He will be missed and celebrated. Des Smith, Calgary Canada

I met Bill in 1981, when I was 23 years old. For the next thirty years, he would have an almost incalculable role in my life. He was (always) way more than an attorney: he was advisor, mentor, sparing partner, wry commentator and kind pal. He was both true friend and Tom Hagen. He was also one of the best readers of books (and so) readers of people I've ever known. It's not enough to say that he will be missed. It's more accurate to say that the world will be a different place without him.

Bill was a unique blend of charisma and pragmatism. He was colleague and friend to me and I am deeply saddened to learn of his passiing. We spoke often of his family and I know that he loved you all very much. May you be comforted by the memories of good times spent together.

My heart goes out to the Biederman-Shulman family. At Lawrence University, where we shared our first year of college, I much admired Bill's wry wit, sharp intelligence, and rugged good looks. Even then, I knew that he would have a meaningful, substantial adulthood.