The Bainbridge Island History Buff Helping Bring Stories to Life

This article originally appeared in our sister publication, West Sound.

Bill Covert is a hero. And that’s not just a compliment — he’s the real deal.

The Bainbridge History Museum recognized Covert as a History Hero volunteer in 2024, citing his work to fulfill the organization’s mission to “preserve and share the stories of Bainbridge Island to promote a greater understanding of our community and the world in which we live.”

Housed in a former schoolhouse built in 1908 — and moved three times before settling in its current location in 2004 — the museum is a home base for Bainbridge stories.

The BHM lucked out when Covert walked through its front door more than 20 years ago. The educator and history buff was anxious to get involved. A graduate of Walla Walla’s Whitman College, Covert went on to get his master’s degree in early childhood education from New York’s Bank Street College of Education. Covert was an elementary school teacher in Seattle before spending 26 years at Wilkes Elementary (now Halilts) on Bainbridge. He used stories to help students connect with what they were learning.

“I loved teaching Washington state history, and the history of Bainbridge Island was a perfect entry point,” Covert said. “I found students were engaged and motivated to learn more when hearing directly from people who lived those stories.”

One experience that helped shape Covert’s passion for the museum’s mission was meeting fellow volunteer and docent Kay Sakai Nakao. In 2007, he accompanied her and a group of Bainbridge Japanese American elders on their first trip back to the Manzanar Internment Camp in California. More than 10,000 U.S. residents and citizens of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated from 1942-45 following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Nakao “never expressed anger at those responsible. Leaving it as a question compelled us to look for answers or a response. That was powerful,” Covert remembered.

“Her ability to connect with people on such a personal level,” he continued, was a catalyst for his own style of sharing Bainbridge history and the island’s multicultural heritage.

Multiculturalism is one of the main themes reflected throughout the BHM complex’s artifacts, displays, and programming.

“Our work is essential for building the trust and relationships that hold our island together, ensuring that the voices of all — from the Suquamish to the Filipino and Japanese American populations — are heard and honored,” Executive Director Amber Buell said.

Buell emphasizes the role volunteers like Covert play in making the museum’s mission tangible — through relationships and trust in the community. “Covert has brought a steady commitment and genuine heart to this work,” Buell said.

Covert has served as a BHM board member, led museum tours, narrated the organization’s acclaimed “Set Sail into History” program, and developed and facilitated the Historian’s Huddle. He also coordinated the Founder’s Pickleball Tournament, arranged field trips, and shared his own stories and ever-expanding learning experience as a Bainbridge area resident and community volunteer.

After living 33 years on the island, Covert moved to Suquamish with his wife, Stephanie, with whom he has two grown daughters. In addition to the hours he spends volunteering for the BHM, he loves to take off with his “biking buddies” and explore the bounteous beauty of the area on both sides of the Agate Pass Bridge.

“Bill demonstrates that ‘each one, teach one’ is more than a technique; it is a way of life,” Buell said. “His dedication ensures that the history of Bainbridge Island is not just remembered, but celebrated by every generation.”

The Bainbridge History Museum is open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays.