William "Bill" M. Stephens

1995 - Photo cropped from original. See article at the end of the page. Photo taken by Peggy Stephens. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

BORN :

DIED : 21 November, 2013

MARRIED : Peggy

CHILDREN : Roger &

AMERICAN

William M. Stephens was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He and his wife, Peggy, met in high school. On his seventeenth birthday, after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Stephens joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Central Pacific. Later he received degrees in law and marine science. He practiced law for many years, worked in marine science, and also taught college courses in law, criminal justice, and creative writing. A pioneer scuba-diver and underwater photographer, he survived a frightening adventure in 1959 when his diving gear malfunctioned at a depth of 200 feet during an archaeological excavation. After a near-death experience in 1969, Stephens made a pilgrimage to India, became a follower of Avatar Meher Baba, and began writing about saints and mystics and the joys of following a God-realized Master.