Eleven years ago my big brother Bill suddenly passed away. When I say suddenly I mean myself and some of those close to him never had a chance to say good bye. Bill had been hospitalized over the previous holidays and was home recuperating. He had some kind of episode that resulted in his being brought to the hospital emergency room but despite all the staff's efforts, Bill passed away. Bill is survived by his loving wife Mary, eight great kids and a bunch of grand kids, a mother and two brothers. We all still mourn Bill's passing, the family events, the holidays and sitting at Dunkie's in Eddie Everett Square having coffee while waiting for the "big one".
As time passes what I miss most about not having Bill here is not being able to share stuff with him as we get older. When we were younger Bill and I got along but were not real tight but Bill always seemed to have my back. When we were in St. Mark's School it was Bill who got me to join the boys choir so we could go to midnight mass on Christmas. Yes, Bill was a choirboy as hard as it is for some to believe. Bill also steered me towards becoming an altar boy, saying it was a good way to get out of school by serving funeral masses and of course the weddings were big because altar boys always got an envelope with cash. As I was getting older and wanted to get a part time job it was Bill who hooked me up with a meat purveyor named Manny Scheff. I worked in the old Fanueil Hall Market Place before it became what it is today. It was there that I learned about cuts of meat and how to get around the North End. As I got older and began to have an interest in girls Bill took me to the BC High dances on Friday evenings. He shared his pick up secrets with me. We both "made out ok". As time went on Bill joined the Air force and I went to college. Bill went to Viet Nam and I went to protest marches. While in the service Bill married is wife Mary and started his family. Upon his return from Viet Nam Bill settled down and went to work. I graduated college and began my teaching career. During this time Bill introduced me to the Boston Ambulance Squad and good guys like Steve Minahan, Charlie Mitchell, Artie Johnson, Richard and Walter Kelliher and Dick Ryan who introduced me to my wife. Bill became very active in the Viet Nam veterans causes. It was through this connection that Bill got me involved with Veterans affairs, the Dorchester Day Parade and the Adelphia Lounge where we would go and throw back a few over the years. In 1983 I decided to run for the Boston School Committee a long shot at best. Bill was right there to help out no questions asked. He and his kids worked hard during that campaign. The proudest moment of that campaign was the Dorchester Day Parade. The parade that year was dedicated to the POW/MIA's and the Viet Nam Veterans, a very large group of Viet Nam vets were going to march in the parade. I was going to march as a candidate but was initially relegated to the last division when Bill and some of the vets asked me to walk with them at the beginning of the parade. I was humbled and said no since I was not a vet but they insisted because I was Bill's little brother, I agreed. Just before we were about to step off John Kerry came by and said he was walking with the vets and Bill said "no thanks we got somebody to walk with us". Mr. Kerry insisted but the "Nam vets" to him to go away and do something to himself, Bill's brother was marching with them. Kerry went away. (This story will be in a future blog)
So it went Bill was always watching my back. As time wore on we would just have our conversations and we would share things that we both knew we would be taking to our graves and that is as it should be.
I still wish Bill was here so we could share things and simply grow old together and hopefully watch each others back. I know he's gone and I miss him a lot but somehow I know he's still got my back.
