William (Bill) Daniel Lovin, 71, of Apex, NC, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2021 after a heroic battle with Parkinson’s. He was the son of the late Archibald King Lovin and Mable McNeill Smith Lovin of Red Springs, NC. Bill was born in Laurinburg, NC and attended public schools in Red Springs. He was a 1972 Graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with degrees in Journalism and Film Production (RTVMP). He is survived by his spouse, Jovita S. Mask. As a diver as well, Jovita, shared his passion for the sea and was a partner in his underwater film production.

He is also survived by his sister, Cindy McArthur (Bill) of Houston, TX; niece, Kate Byrd (Matt) of Houston; great niece, Helen and great nephew, Patrick; niece, Meg Dunne (Brad) of Houston and great niece, Vivienne and great nephew, Leo; his brother, Timothy (Tim) Lovin (Shauna) of Pinehurst, NC; nephew, Ryan (Swapna) of Paoli, PA, and great nephew Dev; nephew, Graham (Alli) of Colorado Springs, CO.

Bill worked professionally in television and film production since 1968. Initially working in sports, he traveled to forty-six countries for CBS, NBC, and ABC. Assignments included Olympic Games, skiing, sailing and motorsports as well as numerous documentaries and commercials.

A scuba diver since 1965, he successfully combined diving and filmmaking in the early 1970's, shooting network assignments and eventually producing his own films. Assignments have included whales in Patagonia, an award-winning special on scuba diving children for PBS “Underwater Kids”, spots for Good Morning America with Geraldo Rivera and CBS News. Lovin also shot much of the background footage for the MGM/UA remake of SEA HUNT and shot several shows for explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau. Lovin’s company, Marine Grafics, maintained one of the nation’s five largest libraries of marine and underwater footage during the 1990s.

He was on-camera host of a series of science programs for the 1991-1993 public television seasons. His series, RETURN TO THE SEA, featured real people from all walks of life, exploring the marine environment. Concurrently he produced Oceans Alive! and Seahouse, two award-winning educational series for K-2 and middle/high school students. These series featured over 100 single concept shows designed to support science curricula in schools. These shows remain among the most successful science series ever produced in the US.

Lovin is founder of the EstuaryLIVE internet event begun at the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve in 1997 and continues to produce the event for NOAA. EstuaryLIVE has brought hundreds of scientists and researchers into classrooms, live and interactively via the internet, reaching students across the United States and around the world. In 2008 Lovin created Estuarylive.TV for NOAA, editing the dozens of broadcast programs into short, single concept science videos for use in K-12.

In 2003 he was named an Intel Tech Laureate for his work in devising the concept for the interactive web fieldtrip.

In 2007 Lovin took the idea of the interactive internet event a step further by creating environments for education and professional development for teachers in on-line virtual worlds. He created large installations for United Star Distance Learning Consortium (USDLC), North Carolina Virtual Public Schools and NC State University in the virtual world of Second Life.

Bill served on the DAN (Divers Alert Network) from 1991-1996. He produced a film about diving safety narrated by his boyhood hero Lloyd Bridges. He also presented his films at Festivals in the US and Canada.

In addition to his underwater work, he served at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction producing educational films and videos. What was intended to be an 18-month job turned into 20 years. That 20 years was a testament to the colleagues who became wonderful friends, all dedicated to making education the best it could be.

His work with the education system was the driving force behind his decision to create the website www.OceanArchives.com The site has all of his underwater films and videos which are accessible at no charge for educators, students and anyone interested in seeing the underwater world. Bill had the unusual qualities of being both creative and technically knowledgeable. After his first scuba dive, he knew he had to create films that would encourage people to learn about and care for the oceans, estuaries, and water resources on the planet.

He said in his life, he only wanted to be kind and do good work. He was successful in both. Bill was a gentle soul, avoiding the spotlight and letting his work speak for him. His family and friends were of utmost importance in his life. He always sought ways to help others achieve their aspirations. When asked what he wished for, he always responded: “world peace”. Knowing that was a major wish, he would add: “If people would be kind and do good work, world peace would follow”.

A celebration of his life will be held in the summer.

Visit Bill's website that includes his work and his passion: Ocean Archives

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: The Michael J. Fox Foundation