My Brother...Your Uncle Bill

My brother…your Uncle Bill, was the first sibling in the Smith Family to die. When we found out he had Melanoma, it was hard to face the fact that one day he would be gone. Uncle Bill was the third oldest of eight children and was a part time minister for the United Church of Christ, so he was the one the family always turned to when we needed comfort. Now, my brother…your Uncle Bill needed our support and comfort.

During the seven years after finding out he had this terrible disease, he and Aunt Charr planned his memorial service. Besides being a minister, he was also a professor at a community college in Pleasant Hill, CA, so the memorial service was held there and several hundred people attended.

Before Uncle Bill died, he and Aunt Charr also made plans for a family memorial service to be held at their beach house in Dillon Beach, CA. He wanted Uncle Hank to scatter his ashes in the ocean near the house that he and Aunt Charr built.

Aunt Charr invited the family to spend the weekend with her. Knowing Uncle Bill would want us to, we played horseshoes and sat around laughing, crying and telling stories and remembering our brother…your Uncle Bill. Dr. Norberg, a minister and family friend, led us in song and prayer as we all stood on the hillside overlooking the ocean while Uncle Hank made the long-lonely walk down to scatter Uncle Bill’s ashes.

One of my best memories of Uncle Bill was when he’d visit our house when you were little and he would walk around the living room checking the tables and bookcase to see how well I dusted. This was a joke for years and we called it the “white glove test” and once he even brought a white glove to put on to see if I had really dusted. That was my brother…your Uncle Bill.

Uncle Bill p2

We all stood on the hillside overlooking the ocean while Uncle Hank
made the long-lonely walk down to scatter Uncle Bill’s ashes.
We can see him at the water’s edge scattering the ashes.
Uncle Hank is having his own moments of private thoughts and prayer after
scattering the ashes.

The day after Uncle Bill died you wrote this poem for Your Uncle Bill.

“Uncle Bill”

Life can pass us rather anon
Before age has fully gone
He has lived his life perhaps done and through
Leaving us so short, wondering what to do

He has lived a life of one hundred years
Though his age was just one-half that
Giving great love to family and peers
Most deeply to ones that loved him dear

Remember this Saint deep down in your heart
And with his memories never part
Keep these thoughts locked up in your mind
Love in our family will be in strong bind

To think of these thoughts you’re at your free will
And I know that his time has come to die
But keeping these thoughts at MY best will
In my heart still lives…my Uncle Bill

Jim Lindsay, Jr. (17 years old)
June 11, 1985