July 21, 2020

TO: The Bennington Community
FR: Isabel Roche, Interim President

It is with great sadness that I write to share the news that William (“Bill”) Scully ‘94 died on Sunday, July 19 after an 11-month battle with cancer. Bill was a beloved classmate and student in his time at the College. He later served as Director of Dining Services for five years, and he went on to become an integral member of, and advocate for, the greater Bennington community as an entrepreneur, business owner, public servant, and deeply devoted citizen. He is survived by his wife Maria and daughter Kiera.  

Bill was known to many of us as the founder of Pangaea, an establishment that quickly became an informal outpost for Bennington College socialization and celebration. He and Maria started the business in 2002 with a vision to bring internationally-influenced food to the community. With the success of Pangaea, Bill went on to open The Lounge next door, and later helped launch Allegro on Main Street. From post-work happy hours to alumni reunions, Bill’s warmth and hospitality has been the backdrop to countless College memories. 

Bill’s concern for the welfare of this community was boundless. He and Maria spent much of the past two decades exploring the potential for hydroelectric power in the region, ultimately buying and restoring the abandoned Vermont Tissue Mill on the Walloomsac River. In 2017, after teaching a 2016 CAPA course with Susan Sgorbati, he worked with students on a project that proposed the creation of hydropower facilities at existing dams at Lake Paran and downstream on Paran Creek. Bill served on the Village of North Bennington Board for five years, and in 2019 he was elected to serve as a member of the Bennington Select Board.

Bill began his undergraduate studies at Bennington in 1990 and, after a period away, returned to complete his BA in 2018 with a concentration in Liberal Arts and a focus on the Clean Water Act. Bill served as Director of Dining Services on campus from 2008-2013 where both his culinary skills and famous affability were put to great use. Bill’s talent for bringing people together for great conversation over good food left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. 

I think CAPA Director Susan Sgorbati said it best: “Bill Scully was one of the brightest, most talented human beings I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He was continually curious, always learning new things and wanting to make a significant contribution to whatever community he was working in.”

Bennington College and the wider community are better places thanks to Bill’s innumerable contributions. His dynamic presence will be dearly missed. Plans to honor his life are forthcoming.