Farewell Uncle Bill

My Uncle Bill passed away. He was 85. He and Aunt Bev were my favorite aunt and uncle, which is rather impolitic to write here because they weren’t our “real” aunt and uncle. You see Bill was good friends with my Dad. They were so close, that during World War II, Bill stopped by to look in on my Mom from time to time when he was in Rhode Island and my Dad was overseas. Apparently Bill looked pretty darn snazzy in his Navy whites and the story goes that my Mom became quite smitten with him. There were even two “Dear John” letters written to my father - only one of which was intercepted by my mother’s father and never mailed! Everything got sorted out the way it was meant to. George married Dorothy and they had three children. Bill married Bev and they had seven children. The four adults and the ten children were friends/family together.

Uncle Bill always had a twinkle in his eyes and a ready smile. He and the ever (and still) glamorous Aunt Bev were always warm, welcoming and generous to us. Whenever we went to visit with them we felt instantly at home. With seven kids, their home always felt energetic, but never chaotic. Uncle Bill and Aunt Bev managed to be elegant and sophisticated, as well as easy going and down to earth all at the same time.

Uncle Bill and my Dad were both excellent storytellers. Along with the rest of our little extended family, they both loved to laugh. Whenever they got together they were like a couple of teenagers again. Staying just ever so slightly on the mature side of goofy, they would get to telling stories or jokes and soon they would be laughing so hard, the rest of us might not know what they were laughing about. But we loved it. I have to believe that Daddy and Uncle Bill are sharing those laughs together once again.