Rest in Peace Sir, Spoke with you at Several Expo's, Extremly knowageable about all phases of Rod Building . Also A Very Funny Person

my heart is broke!
I truly loved Bill.
I was saddened when he stepped back from rod building, We spent days and weeks communicating, some times every day of the week about Micro guides and many other aspects of rod building.
Bill did not like to boast of his accomplishments or intelligence, preferring to be thought of as (in his words) "a dumb ass Coon ass Cajun". but I would like to share a few

He had a PHD in metallurgy
A Photo graphic memory
An astounding IQ.
Before retiring he was in charge of marketing for DuPont corporation, and used that knowledge to educate rod builders on how to market their products.
The seminar he did on that subject at ICRB expo is in my opinion: THe best most informative seminar I'd ever had the privilege to attend in the last 13 years.

He spent much time teaching me how to effectively communicate and present viable ideas and thoughts on rod building with others who had different opinions on the subject.

good by my friend

Sorry to hear this. Bill was a great knowledgeable guy. Enjoyed the ICRBEs talking with him.

Bert Nagy

Sorry to hear this. Bill was a great knowledgeable guy. Enjoyed the ICRBEs talking with him.

Bert Nagy

Sorry to hear this. Bill was a great knowledgeable guy. Enjoyed the ICRBEs talking with him.

Bert Nagy

Sorry to hear this Lance, thanks for posting. I was lucky to meet Bill and speak with him a couple times. But I followed every post he made and I learned so much. Rest In Peace my friend

Rest in Peace Bill !!! The industry lost a valuable asset .

I talked with Bill many times. He was a behind the scenes catalyst in so many areas of rod building. His sense of humor will be sorely missed. When I stopped building for sale, he bailed me out by building many tournament rods for a certain Bass Pro. He was in on everything in bass rods.

I talked to him several times after his wife passed, he was inconsolable . It would take a book to cover all his stories and impact on rod building. There are several amazing builders here that can match his helpfull knowledge level, but none that can match his playfull sense of humor. He was unique and his spirit will live on in many of us. We would all do well to be as fondly remembered .

Bill and I would talk quite a bit about the Micro guides and how the originals were pulling out under stress. I tried to talk to him after his wife's passing but he had lost all interest in life and anyone. I do miss his wit
Bill I hope for your sake that there is a afterlife and you are with the love of your life.
Rest in Peace Bill. You will be missed.

Thank you for the information Lance.

Rolly Beenen
Rovic Custom Rods

Bill taught me so much about building rods. He was so happy to teach me too, he really enjoyed it. I was blessed to live and work near his house, so it was easy to drop by.
He was so sad after his wife died. I always worried what would happen to him if his dog "Pi" was not in the picture anymore.
He will be truly missed.