An open letter to Marcia & Mandy, Joyce, Mike & Chrissie And to the many who knew and loved Bill McInnes!


Bill was a rather rambunctious child full of energy and so inquisative that he could drive you crazy! Imagine my surprise when he turned out to be one of my favorite relatives. Our relationship bloomed in the last couple of years on Facebook and Gmail. I loved his enthusiasm about vintage cars, Florida and his family.  Both parents, Bill and Betty were high on my list of very favorite relatives. Loved them so much and grew to love Bill the same. One of the last emails that I received he suggested that I come back home to Tarentum where I had people who loved me.


  So Mike let’s talk about you, the natural successor to these good guys. I remember coming home one year and dropping by your house. You must have been around 9 or 10. You stood across from the room from me and just stared at me and stared!    I thought maybe you didn’t like me. I remembered that gaze and finally some time later, I figured it out….you were me. You reacted the same way that I would have if I saw a guy from Hollywood in my living room. In fact I did the same thing when Don Taylor (he was Elizabeth Taylor’s groom in Father of the Bride) who was from Freeport came back to visit and dropped by the library to see the librarian. He was with his wife, Phyllis Avery a blonde and beautiful young lady who went on to co-star with Ray Milland in his TV series. Somehow I found out about it and was hiding among the books staring at them!!!
   So Mike, as the heir apparent to Uncle Bill and Cousin Bill you are now my favorite relative because you are them and because you get me……we could spend many hours talking old movies, etc.
    I cannot be there on Tuesday to properly say goodbye to Bill but trust me my heart will be there. For he was definitely a jolly good fellow!
  RIP dear Bill, you will be missed.   You are already missed!
  Give my regards to the Prince & the Princess!