FW: Bill's passing, February 8, 2011

9 Feb 2011

      I just returned to my desk after a couple of hours away and found this email
waiting for me. Many or you knew Bill, so I'm sharing this information with
this list. Bill was my best friend. (I have many best friends.) He liked to
think of himself as a curmudgeonly old guy, but that was far from the truth.
He was very kind and loving and a great teacher. Bill was every bit the man
as Lois describes him, and then some. I can't express the loss that I feel.
I can't do it now, but later I would like to discuss how those who are
interested could car pool to Cottonwood for the funeral.

I loved Bill. I'm not ashamed to say it. I feel very fortunate to have
numbered him among my friends.

Kim 

-----Original Message-----
From: Lois [mailto:sunflower@commspeed.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 4:27 PM
To: sunflower@commspeed.net
Subject: Bill's passing, February 8, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Bill entered the hospital January 25 after collapsing in his doctor's
waiting room.  He suffered from pneumonia and other ailments.  He went into
Hospice care at the hospital on Monday afternoon, February 7th.  The
chaplain came to pray with him.  The extra medication let him rest
comfortably without the respiratory distress that the pneumonia and other
conditions caused.  I stayed with him until after 11:00 pm then came home.
The hospital called just after he passed peacefully at 4:11 am Tuesday
(this) morning.  He put up a good fight, but the pneumonia and other medical
issues were too much for a 93 year old.  He went down hill quickly after a
trip to and from a rehabilitation center in Sedona last Wednesday.  He kept
commenting on how kind everyone at the hospital was to him.  They were
caring, compassionate and treated him with great love.  There was not time
to read or answer emails or to make phone calls because I wanted to spend as
much time with him as possible.

Our cat cannot understand why Bill has not been here.  As his back became
more painful, he was home almost all the time and she often napped with him.
When he went into the hospital two weeks ago I put down some of the clothing
Bill wore for her to sleep on, but it does not replace him for her.

Bill clung to life and lived it fully for his 93 years. He always had a zest
for life and never let his mind stop coming up with new ideas.  He was a man
of many talents, including marine biology, gemstones, astronomy, food &
wine, music, tennis, skiing and making friends.  He had a winning smile and
great curiosity.    He was ever the teacher and taught me so much.  In
recent months he said that he was in great pain and it would be easy to let
go and die, but he stayed for me. His time finally came. We had 22 wonderful
years together, and I will miss him.

I am so grateful for family and friends. Thank you for your emails, cards
and phone messages.

Sincerely,
Lois Kelley

 P. S.
A young man helping with the computer in December
somehow combined email addresses from three email sites so it seems like I
am sorting through hundreds of names.  Please forgive me if you were
overlooked on updates. Here is the update I sent out about a week after he
went to the hospital.

Dear Family and Friends,
Bill has been in the hospital since January 25th with pneumonia and other
ailments.  Early yesterday I thought I would be able to send good news.  On
Monday and Tuesday Bill was able to sit up in a chair and eat on his own.
So on Wednesday morning the doctor said that Bill was going to be discharged
to a Rehabilitation Center in Sedona.  Well,in the late afternoon he endured
the hour ride.  When he arrived there was no oxygen waiting for him.  By the
time they got some he was pretty low and in distress.  His intuition kicked
in and he said that he wanted me to get him out of there and that was before
they brought the burned toasted cheese sandwich for supper.  I don't think
they wanted him there either, because he has been so weak that he can no
longer stand on his own.  The head nurse suggested that he might die if he
stayed there and called the doctor on call.  They told me it would be better
if they called 911 and took him back to the emergency room at the hospital.
It was about 20 degrees out and he felt frozen in the ambulance.   When we
arrived at the ER our friend Amanda was the Tech and J-Ann was our ER Nurse
again and Karen from New Hampshire signed him in - wonderful.  There was
more fluid in his lungs than the X-ray taken the day before.  He got to the
room quite late and I waited for him to be settled. - about 11:00 pm.  The
traveling took a lot out of Bill who spent so many days in bed recovering
since the 25th.  He had a very bad night.  When I arrived the night nurse
made a special effort to speak with me.  He had a bad day and had to be
sedated all day.  A Respiratory specialist had to be called in the
afternoon.  The Ear, Nose,Throat DR. was called in and arrived at 5:00 pm
because Bill's mouth, throat and down to his stomach is burning.  Bill has
been his patient for over 10 years and they get along very well, so he is
going to get to the bottom of the burning issue.  He did say that Bill has
the mouth and throat of a 20 year old.  I left him in good hands after 9:00
tonight.
 I don't know where I have gotten the strength to care for him.  I am up at
5:45am and to bed after 11:00pm if I am lucky.  I am writing this, but do
not have the energy to answer emails yet.
All of the nurses, techs and staff everywhere in the hospital have been
wonderful.  It is as if angels had been dropped into the hospital to care
for Bill and me.  All we need now are the miracles.
Blessings,
Lois

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