A Good Man Says Goodbye

A lot of you may have noticed that I was absent from your blogs for a few days last week, and unfortunately it was not a holiday I had planned. My step-father, William “Bill” Fricke, passed away in the early morning hours on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. He was a good man, beloved by his children, Katherine and Matthew, and the love of my mother’s life. He loved me and my brother too and treated us like his own children, always smiling and hugging, always loving each of us with intensity and pride. Bill did many things and was an expert at all of them. He was a winemaker, a winner of the chili cookoff, ( and incidentally, he taught me that real chili from Texas doesn’t have beans! Who knew?) he was an expert chef, and served in the military. He had many friends and coworkers who knew him as a genuine and humorously cantankerous comrade. He was a member of Atlanta’s Koi Club and built a beautiful pond for my mother, filled with some of the most beautiful fish in the world. But most of all, he was a proud and honorable man who always did the right thing. He fought this illness for fifteen years and was in remission for eight. He underwent a stem cell transplant two years ago, receiving the cells from Mark, his brother, who was a perfect match. His sister Connie was one of his favorite people to talk to. As we all go along our merry way for the holidays, my wish is that you send healing prayers to my mother and his family. There is no doubt that he made it to the gates of heaven, and though he said he had to polish a few stars, he one day wanted to become an archangel. Raise a glass to this amazing man tonight, for though he is now silent, his words and wisdom live on in all the people that he so graciously loved.

I leave you with this poem, which I give to all the people who have touched Bill’s life:

I Am Always With You

When I am gone, release me, let me go.
I have so many things to see and do,
You mustn't tie yourself to me with too many tears,
But be thankful we had so many good years.
I gave you my love, and you can only guess
How much you've given me in happiness.
I thank you for the love that you have shown,
But now it is time I traveled on alone.
So grieve for me a while, if grieve you must
Then let your grief be comforted by trust
That it is only for a while that we must part,
So treasure the memories within your heart.
I won't be far away for life goes on.
And if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can't see or touch me, I will be near
And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear
All my love around you soft and clear
And then, when you come this way alone,
I'll greet you with a smile and a "Welcome Home."

I love you, Bill. May God open his arms wide for you, and give you the peace you deserve.