Dr. William “Bill” Shields

Dr. William “Bill” Shields

Dr. William “Bill” Shields, 82, passed away of cancer on March 25, 2025, in Surprise, Arizona.

Born on May 21, 1942, in Anaconda, Montana, Dr. Shields dedicated his life to higher education and academic leadership. He served as president of The College of Great Falls from 1977 to 1992, Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois from 1992 to 2003, and the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville from 2005 to 2012. Dr. Shields concluded his distinguished career with his retirement from the University of Pittsburgh Main Campus in 2014. Even in retirement, he continued to contribute to academia through four interim leadership roles at various colleges.

Dr. Shields is remembered by his wife, Judy (Sterbenz) Shields; daughters Colleen (Shields) Addison (Jeff), and Maura Shields; sons Patrick and Michael Shields; brother Michael Shields (Opal Winebrenner); sister Margie (Shields) Hanson (Russ); sister-in-law Pat (Walsh) Shields, (Gerald Shields); grandson William Addison; and granddaughter Bella Shields.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Tony and Margaret Shields, and brother Gerald Shields.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, April 24 in Surprise, AZ.

Memorial contributions may be made in Dr. Shields’s honor to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at https://stvincentdepaul.net/give/donate or to the University of Great Falls Scholarships.

Dr. Shields’s lifelong commitment to education leaves a lasting legacy in the institutions he served and in the lives he touched.