‘Motch’ is East Coast-bound: Saying farewell to longtime Jewish Light author/photographer

Freelance journalists, understandably, have their techniques. We all do.

Some take into account the project and test it towards their calendar, consider visitors, parking, how far it’s from dwelling, whether or not it conflicts with dinner plans and, most significantly, if it pays nicely sufficient to justify altering out of sweatpants.

Then there’s Bill Motchan.

Over the previous decade, I’ve requested Bill to cowl every thing for the Jewish Light from main neighborhood occasions to tales that, on paper not less than, had all the thrill of studying the telephone e book aloud. His response was virtually at all times the identical: “Sure.” And not simply “sure” within the reluctant, I-guess-if-I-have-to sense. Bill would present up able to report, able to hear, able to take photographs and by some means prepared to seek out the story, even with assignments that didn’t precisely scream Pulitzer Prize contender.

Then, by some means, he would come again with vigorous copy, terrific photographs and at all times a smile.

Need somebody to drive throughout city to cowl a 7 a.m. breakfast assembly? Bill’s your man. Evening assembly that runs lengthy and includes three PowerPoint shows and a Q&A session that refuses to die? Bill’s already charging his digital camera battery. Feature story on a subject that, frankly, sounds much more mystifying than IKEA meeting instructions? Bill by some means finds the humanity, humor and ideal quote.

The starting of a friendship

I first met Bill by means of a mutual pal, Steve Friedman, who on the time — the early Nineteen Nineties — was editor of St. Louis Magazine. Steve hosted a celebration that Bill and I attended, together with what felt like each lady Steve had ever dated. There could have been a couple of guys there too, however actually, reminiscence fades.

What I do keep in mind is Bill leaning over at one level and observing that he was pretty sure I used to be the one lady within the room who had not had a romantic historical past with Steve. We laughed and instantly bonded.

It wasn’t till 2015, when Bill returned dwelling to St. Louis from Chicago, that we turned buddies, and finally colleagues.

He had not too long ago retired after a 25-year profession at Southwestern Bell and AT&T, the place he labored in company communications. He and his spouse Mary, who will not be from St. Louis, determined to maneuver again right here as a result of Bill’s mom was 93. Mind you, she was in fairly fine condition mentally and bodily — however Bill and Mary wished to be shut and spend extra time along with her.

Soon after returning, Bill and I had lunch at Sportsman’s Park to debate him freelancing for the Jewish Light. I realized that he had graduated from Mizzou’s journalism program with a level in photojournalism and had as soon as imagined a profession as a reporter. In truth, in 1984 he had been provided two very totally different alternatives: one as a reporter for the St. Louis Business Journal whereas additionally weighing a communications job at Southwestern Bell.

As Bill tells it, journalism received his coronary heart, however Southwestern Bell received the coin toss — or, extra precisely, lease and meals payments.

Still, the reporter in him by no means actually went away. It had simply been ready patiently for an encore. The Light was solely completely satisfied to offer one.

Hundreds of tales later

I misplaced depend of the variety of tales Bill has produced over the previous 11 years, however ChatGPT stories he has “written several hundred stories for the paper — likely well into the 400 to 600 range, especially when you include features, news stories, profiles, photo essays and collaborative pieces.” Let’s simply say he’s written so much — and brought the overwhelming majority of images which have appeared within the print version for the previous 10 years.

He additionally received a number of Rockower Awards, the best honor given in Jewish journalism. One of his most private and impactful Rockower-winning items detailed his function as a caregiver to his mom after she took a fall and suffered a compression fracture at age 95. Judges praised the story for its honesty and usefulness, notably the sensible guidelines he included for readers dealing with caregiving challenges.

Another memorable award winner: His piece on Esther Schimmel’s sizzling canine stand at baseball’s Sportsman’s Park.

Some of my favourite “Motch” tales embody final yr’s “Barry Brunch,” wherein he by some means turned a gathering of 12 native Jewish males named Barry into an totally pleasant 400-word learn. I laughed out loud when he launched us to the “Owlivette Owls,” a household of nice horned owls that took up residence on the Olivette balcony of an area Jewish couple. And then there was the Jewish “king of Christmas trees,” whose household enterprise provided what felt like half the evergreens in St. Louis each December.

Trying to zero in on Bill’s “best” items might be a idiot’s errand as a result of so many stand out. He championed the Light’s ongoing sequence, “The Story Behind the Name,” wherein he remodeled the Jewish names on buildings, parks, faculties and establishments into textured tales in regards to the individuals behind them. In Bill’s palms, a plaque on a wall turned an immigration story, a lesson in philanthropy, a household saga or a chunk of forgotten St. Louis Jewish historical past.

He had a knack for serving to readers perceive that communities are constructed not solely by well-known individuals, however by beneficiant individuals — a lot of whom quietly formed St. Louis.

And that vary was a part of what made Bill so precious to the Light. He might transfer seamlessly from native Jewish historical past to onerous information to warm-hearted function writing, at all times discovering the human thread that pulled readers in.

One extra transfer

Bill’s mom handed away in 2022 on the age of 100. Not lengthy after, Bill and Mary started speaking critically about leaving St. Louis. Neither has shut household right here anymore, although fortunately they determined to remain slightly longer. But subsequent month they’re headed to Virginia Beach, the place I think Bill’s future will embody decrease golf scores, fewer deadlines and completely no neighborhood conferences involving malfunctioning PowerPoints and limitless Q&As.

Nonetheless, one thing tells me that the reporter in Bill Motchan isn’t going away totally. People are nonetheless going to inform him tales. He’s nonetheless going to ask questions. And each every so often, I’ve a sense a Jewish Light byline along with his title on it’s going to pop up once more.

Frankly, I’m relying on it.