Other Family and Friends' Honors to Bill Birchler
Click here for an account of Bill's last few days, his illness, and his fight to live...
An email from friend Bill Rollyson to this web site on February 17, 2009:
Hey guys how is everybody doing? It's been a long time. As I often think about my "PAL" Bill none so more as I do recently. Teresa and I just celebrated our
20th Wedding Anniversary. It seems like it just yesterday! It obviously brought back many memories and strangely enough for me mostly of Bill. As I think you guys know he and Todd Morgan were my best men, that's even stranger for a Catholic wedding, so he was an important part of our lives as well as our wedding .It brought back memories of the bachelor party Bill [I have a hard time calling him Bill, I called him Billy, from one Bill to another], Todd and everyone threw me. It was on Thursday 2/09/1989 and our wedding rehearsal was at 6:00 P.M. Friday 2/10/1989 in Piqua Oh. I did not have a car so Billy was supposed to drive us there. One problem we woke up Friday morning with one major problem "dude where's the car", I don't know. Obviously we found it but know where near in time for the rehearsal, anyhow we pulled it off. Mrs. Birchler "Pat Cat" was there to see it for her self, that was sweet! Later that year our son Zachary was born and Billy honored us by becoming his Godfather. When he would see Zachary he enjoyed [actually relished] having Zachary call him Godfather! That was my pal Billy, The Toe, The Godfather at his best!!
Sorry for rambling on but I just have been missing my pal. My best tribute to my pal is to say he "tickled me". He always made me smile.
Thanks Toe,
BR
An email from friend Steve Faber to this web site:
Thank you for BBI. I miss Bill but his legendary humor lives on.
Steve Faber Class of 85 Northview HS
An email from Bonnie Mutch, to her friend Nancy Birchler:
Words cannot express how sorry I am and the way that I feel about Bill's death. I know how devastating his loss is to all of you. I think about Bill all of the time and feel very fortunate to have been able to share in his laughter. He always had a way of making people laugh. He had a great sense of humor and a gentle loving nature. You are all lucky to have so many fond memories of Bill and family and friends surrounding you to share them with. One memory that comes quickly to my mind is, "This is Nacho Cheese".
An email from Nancy Birchler to friends and family:
Hey Guys,
I just wanted to thank all of you for being there for Bill and for all of us Birchlers during this very hard time. All of you are a big part of Bill's life and I know how much he meant to you and it gives me comfort knowing we all love him and will miss him. I think Bill's love and his memories will give us all strength to go on . . . somehow, someway.
All of you made a difference in Bill's life, made a connection in some way and became his friend. I know I was Bill's friend but I was also his sister and sometimes he had issues with that, . . . he didn't want to listen to me because I would bitch bitch bitch. I think you can go fast through life, or you can go slow. I think most of us just yearn to master the controls. I believe Bill was in control and he was content when he went. I think we all want the same thing for ourselves only much later.
I want to keep in touch and hear stories about Bill for years to come . . . the good, the bad, and the ugly and anything in between. I just need to feel a connection. Bill was one of a kind, I don't think anyone would be able to go to Vegas and not think of Bill.
We will all get by knowing how much we care and love for Bill. I'm not ready to say goodbye to him yet, he is going to get that long Swiss goodbye he never wanted from me. And he can't do anything about it . . . Ha Ha!
Nancy
An email from Tom Watson to this web site:
I haven't seen Bill since high school, but he was a friend, and I am sorry to hear of his passing. We played basketball together at Arbor Hills Junior High, and I still have a photo of us playing together in the league championship game against Perrysburg. He always brought a smile to anyone he talked with, and I am truly sorry for your loss.
Tom Watson
An email from David Flis to Bill's family:
Hi Ann, Nancy, and Tom,
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your emails. I wanted to say more than just a few words of support and condolences. Words don't come too easily to me, so I did not want to rush this message. I've spent several days writing this, adding to it when time permitted or a thought popped into my head.
First, I want to thank you and your family for including me in the celebration of Bill's life. I have known Bill for many years (since before Dan and Nancy's wedding). In the years since I moved down to DC, we became friends. But, I also realized that we had our disagreements, issues, whatever you want to call them. I know I probably annoyed him as much as anybody did. And he certainly had the ability to frustrate me considerably. But, maybe because of this, I thought of him more as a brother than just a friend. Friendships don't always last through rough times but family bonds are much tougher to destroy. If Bill was upset with me or I at him, I knew that, eventually, it would be forgotten.
It still seems strange that Bill is no longer with us. It's as if large gaps have opened in all our lives. Activities and memories that won’t seem the same without him. For me they are Ohio State games, boat shows, Vegas trips, Sea-Doo spills, old videos (from that gigantic, old camera), Beck, Johnny Cash and Sinatra. That look he gave you that said you were on thin ice or the laugh that said you were back in his "good graces". The list goes on...
I'll especially think of him when reading about the Civil War or visiting a battlefield. He took me, along with several other people, on my first visit to Manassas. I do not know too many people that like history as much as I do. I'm not weird about it, like re-enactors, I just like to learn about history. Bill liked history as much as I did. In fact, he knew much more about it than I did. How do I know? Because he told me so! I don't think I ever won an argument with him. Even when I was right!
Anyhow, as it's been said many times, it is at these times that friends and family are the most important. They help to fill those voids.
Finally, I noticed something while Bill was sick that I don't think was always easy to see at other times... but I'm sure was always there. I could tell by the way he reacted to you guys that he loved you all. And I think that's the most important thing to remember.
Okay, enough schmaltziness. I'm not too good at it anyway!
See ya Bill.
Thanks for letting me ramble on. It's been a few weeks and I hope I didn't open any wounds that were beginning to heal. I haven't had much chance to talk to you all over these last few weeks. I know you have been pretty busy. But I just wanted to let you all know how I feel. I'm always around to help. I might not have skills like Mark (I don't think you have much use for a data analysis right now) but I am a good gopher or listener or whatever you may need.
Thanks,
Dave
There will be more to come! Please feel free to submit your thoughts to contact@billbirchlerindustries.com