I have only learned today of Bill's passing and am very sad.  It is clear from all the messages here how much he inspired so many people with his unique words and knowledge.

In 1971, Bill was riding his motorbike through my home state of California. In a small town on the coast he was involved in a very bad accident and ended up in our local hospital. I am not sure of the details of how he knew someone who knew someone in our town but he did and their high school son then rounded up quite a few friends who all descended on him in quite a boisterous visit. I am not sure the hospital had seen anything like it then or since.

Bill's leg was encased in plaster and pulleys and he had limited movement so was looking for entertainment which we provided. I was only 17 and could not drive so, after that, my dear friend Ann and I kept up the visits. One time we smuggled a bottle of rum in. I think Bill had mentioned a favourite rum and we found it! I do not remember how we did this but we did. Since I did not have the freedom or independence to visit on my own, after that we had many long and soul searching 'phone calls. As I had a very sheltered upbringing, my parents were a bit worried by this but it set a precedence in my life for meaningful friendships based on telephone conversations and letter writing. Oh the days before the internet children!!

I have recently been having a sort through of many well-travelled boxes that hold some ephemera of my life and came across  Bill's letters. I know how the first one started without opening it....'My dear Fairy Princess'....Today I opened them again and could hear his voice as plain as day. After 1973, our correspondence was erratic as I moved to England and married a sailor. Again, a life of letter writing. Bill's written words to me were, 'Do let it be good in England' and, ironically, today would mark the 47th anniversary of my first setting foot in this country and I am looking at blue sky and the sea today. I feel that as a blessing from him as I have been looking back over the past.

About 15 years later with the birth of email and the internet, Bill and I reconnected as I lived in Hong Kong with my second husband. After that, upon returning to the UK, we thought of emmigrating to Canada and Bill became a host of information. However, we never managed to meet up again even on our visits there.

Our email correspondence continued in recent years as my husband was diagnosed with incurable (but treatable) cancer which encouraged we moved to the SouthWest of England seven years ago, Bill shared his diagnosis with me in the way that only Bill could with profound knowledge and fortitude. I was so pleased that he was still biking (but not on motorbikes now) and brewing. The SW of England is now an explosion of microbreweries and we enjoyed sharing that information and talking about the hopefulness that remission gives but not to let it rule your life. I know that Bill was the perfect example of that never letting anything hold him back on enjoying life to the full.

Sadly, yet again, we were not able to meet up when Bill came to the UK recently with his family but I loved hearing the stories about his daughters and their learning experiences. He was such a proud and loving family man. What does comfort me is to know that when he passed, he definitely went with love and was surrounded by the love of all who knew him and supported him.

As everyone reading this will know,  Bill was a man of unique words and story-telling, He knew so much about so many things and was always willing to share. I shared a lot of words with him and it always made me feel better to do that and to read his words in return.

He will be missed by many but I hope we will all remember his words. One of the first things he said to me that has always, always stayed with me was, 'There is nothing quite so sure as change' and he was right.

 I hope that Cristina and the girls are comforted the knowledge that although the world is changed by Bill's loss, it has been so much better for having had him in it.

Blessings and love to all Bill's family and all who knew him.  I am proud to be able to include myself in this group of people.

Debra