Remembering Bill

Thoughts about Bill Heine by Susan Wray

Pastel of Beech trees
also by Susan Wray

Among my memories of Bill is the time my kids and I lived in Central Green apartments, neighbors of Jane and Bill, Jessica and David. Alvin, a little Indian neighbor boy, mistook the moniker " Uncle Bill" for "Taco Bell." Around the same time, David mistakenly called Uncle Johnny 'Onald Junky". Both nicknames stuck with us. I remember around the holidays Jane and I plaintively crooning Christmas carols and suddenly Bill, in perfect harmony, joined us and made us sound good. Many years later, I traveled to San Jose on business and Bill picked me up from the airport. We went for a walk on a beach that was littered with big round stones and Bill explained his belief in the Big Bang theory. He was often thinking deep cosmic thoughts. In Thailand with Jane and Bill, when we would eat together, Bill mostly held court on one scientific theory or another. His brain was already cranking at breakfast. He was a dear man and I always thought he had beautiful hands. I'm grateful my kids and husband got to spend time with him this last year of his life.