William L. Bulla

William L. Bulla dies at 91; Managed Valley Mall and Other Regional Shopping Centers
William L. Bulla, a former Sears advertising executive and advertising agency owner who led the shopping center management team at Valley Mall died on May 30 at his home in Hagerstown, M.D. He was 91.
The cause was COPD, said his step-son Wendell Pope, who confirmed the death.
During his career with Shopco Properties LLC, he was responsible for the management and marketing of seven Shopco shopping centers including Valley Mall, Frederick Towne Mall, and Country Club Mall in Maryland.
Upon retirement from Shopco in 1989 he worked as a shopping center consultant and then went to work with the Girl Scouts of Shawnee Council as director of public relations and fund development. In 1999 he left to work as director of marketing and public relations for the United Way of Washington County.
He began to write a regular column for The Picket News in 1999 and contributed occasional feature stories. He retired again in 2004 to spend more time working on his watercolor technique, an artistic passion he enjoyed for much of his life, and volunteering with several non-profit organizations.
Mr. Bulla served his community in many areas. He was on the Board of Directors for the Washington County Chapter of the American Cancer Society serving as vice president and president; on the Board of Directors for the Maryland State American Cancer Society as public relations chair and was awarded the State Volunteer of the Year Award; and as the Maryland State Crusade Chairman for the Society; on the Washington County Economic Development Commission; and on Hagerstown/Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
"Mister B", as he was known to many, was on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Washington County, was active with Habitats Annual Auction Dinner committee and wrote a semi-monthly column, "Building Homes! Rebuilding Lives". He served on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Shawnee Council. As a board member of United Way of Washington County, he served on several committees. He was president of the Woodlands North Home Owners Association.
Bill was very active in The International Association of Lions Clubs and its work in the community. He joined Lions in Washington, D.C. area in 1970, and transferred to the Williamsport Lions Club in 1975. He served as president of the North Hagerstown Lions Club and had 39-years of perfect attendance at Lions meetings. He served as Club secretary, treasurer and president several times. He served on District Governor's 22-W Cabinet many times as well as on the Multiple District 22 Council (Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C.)
He received recognition as District Governor for District 22-W (Five western counties of Maryland) for1988-89. Awards received in Lionism include: International President's Leadership Award, Lions International Melvin Jones Fellow Award, two Extension Awards for forming new clubs, two Guiding Lion Awards, Builders Membership Key Award and others. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Multiple District 22 Lions Vision Research Foundation at Wilmer Eye Clinic at Johns Hopkins and in the position of vice chairman and as chairman of the board. He was awarded the Arnall Patz Fellow Award by the Lions Vision Research Foundation.
Mr. Bulla received many honors during his career. The Cumberland Valley Ad Club awarded him the Silver Medal for "Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Advertising and Marketing" and several ADDY awards for outstanding advertising.
He received International Council of Shopping Center's "MAXI" awards for shopping center promotions. He sat on international seminar panels, taught classes, and received the certified management and marketing designation awarded by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
He taught classes related to management, marketing, building and leasing shopping malls for Northwest Center of Professional Education, International Council of Shopping Centers, and Alexander Management Consultants in numerous major cities. He authored articles for the industry and chapters for a text book used at the State University of New York.
William Lawrence Bulla was born in Henryetta, Oklahoma on October 8, 1923 to Francis Thomas Bulla and Eula Estella Hisaw. He attended High School in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, graduating in 1941.
In May 1942, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps and trained as an aircraft mechanic at Sheppard Field, Texas. Later he was sent to Hendricks Field, Florida where he was crew chief of a B-17B. After additional training he was assigned to B-29s in the 680th Bombardment Squadron, 20th Air Force, on the island of Tinian in the Mariannas where he remained until discharged in January, 1946.
After the war, he moved to Washington, D.C. to attend the Columbia School of Art. Later, he enrolled at George Washington University, and took classes at the Corcoran Museum School of Art. In 1950, he began work as a commercial artist for the Advertising Department of Sears, Roebuck and Co. in Washington and was soon promoted to assistant advertising manager.
In Washington, he met and married Barbara Elizabeth Pope (nee Ammann), a widow with two children. They had one son, William L. Bulla, Jr. born in 1951.
Sears transferred him to Baltimore in 1954 as the advertising and sales promotion manager where he also served as president of the Mondawmin Shopping Center Board of Directors. Becoming interested in shopping center promotion, he and a friend founded an advertising agency in 1963 focusing on shopping centers and retail business.
In 1967, he left the agency to work for the Home Builders Association of Maryland as director of public relations and serving as an Assistant Executive Secretary editing a monthly magazine, and creating technical printed material. He then served as CEO and co-owner of The Type House, an offset composition company in Baltimore producing shopping center tabloids
He was hired in 1972 by the Arlen Shopping Center Company at Prince Georges Plaza as manager and marketing director. His role was later expanded to regional marketing director covering several states. In 1975, The Shopco Company hired him as vice president of management and marketing working out of Valley Mall in Hagerstown.
Living in Hagerstown, Mr. Bulla attended St. Johns Episcopal Church and served as a member of the Vestry. When he moved to Sharpsburg, he attended St. Pauls Episcopal Church and served on the Vestry as the senior warden and lay minister. For the last 18 years he has been a member of The Good Shepherd Ministries where he taught adult Sunday school and also established and edited the monthly newsletter for his church.
Mr. Bullas wife of 53 years, Barbara A. Bulla, died in 2004 and their son, William L. Bulla, Jr., died in 2003. He was predeceased by an older brother Thomas Bulla who died in childhood and an older sister, Lillian Bulla Mainhart, and a niece Sybil Van Arsdale.
He is survived by his sister, Patricia Bell of Houston, T.X. and two grandchildren, William Elijah Bulla (Maria) of New York City and Sarah Elizabeth (Bryan) Trice of Denton, M.D.
He is also survived by his step-son Wendell E Pope, Jr. (Maryann), daughter Beverly Pope Jacob (George), grandsons Wendell E. Pope III (Shari Pine), Loren Augustus Pope (Jenna), George R. "Chip" Jacob (Kim), Christopher C. Jacob (Audra), Daniel P. Jacob, Clayton A. Pope (Leah), He is also survived by granddaughters, Alice Jacob Wessendorf (Gerrit), Alexis Pope Porter(Jeffrey). Great grandchildren include Devin S. Jacob, Alex L. Beard, Jordan A. Jacob, Emily E. Jacob, Christopher C. Jacob "Jake" Jr., Sofia Whiting-Jacob, Wendell A. Pope, Everett S. Pope, Campbell A. Pope, Briggs D. Porter and Addison R. Trice. Honorary grandchildren include Rodney Hardrick (Brigidette) and Kelsey Jarvis, and Beth Haynes (George). Honorary great grandchildren include Brittley and Josie Hardrick.
Memorial donations in honor of William L. Bulla may be made to The Good Shepherd Ministries, 19763 Longmeadow Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21742, or to Hospice of Washington County, 747 Northern Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21742
The family also wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Bill's wonderful team at Hospice of Washington County especially Lynn Milek and Kathy Whalen, and to The Good Shepherd Ministries for their stalwart love and support.
The public is invited to a viewing at Rest Haven Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 3 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Services will be held at The Good Shepherd Ministries on Thursday, June 4 at 11:00 a.m. with Steven McCollough and Bradford Reaves officiating, interment to follow at Cedar Lawn Memorial Park.