Uncle Bill

It is with great sadness that I write about the loss of my Uncle Bill.  He was one of my favorite people and he was also one of my best blog readers.  Uncle Bill - my dad's brother - was one of a kind.  As I said on Facebook earlier tonight there is certainly no other like him - smart as a whistle, very funny, eccentric, witty as they come, little peculiar, and loved all of us like no other! He could be described as a recluse or loner, as he lived alone and didn't come out a lot.  The Boo Radley of Bishopville if you will.  But he was a bit of a contradiction though as my dad noted earlier today - he spent many of day alone and probably not talking to anyone - but then when he was around people he had the very BEST time - laughing, talking, story telling and had amazing knowledge of all things whether it be books, politics, current events or even the latest tv shows.  We both had a deep love of Downton Abbey!  I think he really wished he was Carson and felt they had some amazing similarities :)  He had a sweet spirit about him and loved his people very much. 

When I think about Bill I picture him in his flannel button up shirts, Columbia sweatshirts and jeans, but when it was time to dress up he knew how to look extremely dapper!  He enjoyed both mine and Will's wedding events very much and totally looked the part.  He was a wonderful Great Uncle to Champs and I know he would have been to Jack too.  I am thankful he met Jack in May of this year and got to see his sweet little self.  He always gave Champs the best books for Christmas and birthdays - they seem to be his favorites!  He gave Champs this t-shirt last year that he adores - it has a huge real puppy dog face on it - I think we may just wear it all weekend!

Uncle Bill and I had a special bond and always have.  He was a great Uncle to Will and me growing up and always made a point to see us anytime we came "home" from college or from wherever we were living after college.  He and I emailed often and probably saw each other most in the years when I had moved to Columbia but before I had Champs.  He would pick out places he wanted to eat in Columbia and drive over and eat supper with Barrett and me or just lunch with me.  He could talk and talk and always had so many things he wanted to ask me about life and all that was going on.  He was so funny and clever.  

As I think of all the times we had together it's hard to put into words what he meant to all of us.  I think of his Christmas gifts to us that were always funny, odd things in bags with no tissue.  I think of our trips to The Oyster Bar in Columbia and how much he loved it.  I think about his love of piano and how I wish I had heard him play more.  I think about his Christmas tree in his front window with hundreds of colored lights - he thinks white lights are terrible.  I think of how meaningful it was when I saw him hug Champs as he had never been particularly affectionate.  I think of how proud he was when Mama and Daddy helped him fix up his house years ago and he had us over to show it off.  I think about how he would admit to secretly having watched numerous reality tv shows that he was shame to have seen.  I think of how much he loved us all - we were all he had - and I know he would have done anything for us.  

Life is short and can be ever so fragile.  I'm thankful for the time I had with Uncle Bill but do wish it had been more.  Hoping he's playing the piano and visiting with my grandparents....!