Memories of Louis "Bill" Wilford Cartwright

In memory of

Louis "Bill" Wilford Cartwright

Dunsmuir, CA, USA

October 16, 1940 - March 10, 2021

Oct 16, 1940 - Mar 10, 2021

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Don Stearns

1970, Byron Hot Springs, CA, USA

I fondly remember tubing down an irrigation canal near Bill’s house on the defunct Byron Hot Springs resort with Bill and his family at the time . We picked a bucket full of crawfish along the way and had a feast afterwards. Bill truly was the superhero his children remember him as. His mother, Mary, was my fathers sister. Im sorry I just found out of his passing and my sincere condolences to his family . I also look forward to talking to him again when I do.

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Martha M

Ah, Bill, what an amazing friend through the years. A ready glowing smile, always intent and focused as a listener, a thoughtful comrade, strong and stubborn or maybe I should say determined, especially when it involved a challenge often when helping someone. God truly loves you and your courageous heart. I am grateful to call him a friend.

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Anya Shortridge

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Anya Shortridge

Comments:

Phil Johnson

Hello to Bill’s family and friends—

I just learned about Bill’s passing. I am sending my deep condolences to all the members of Bill’s family. Bill and I had a close friendship throughout the 1960s. He was a key influence on me and my life.

Reading the messages sent to this site, it’s deeply moving to me to see the warm, loving relationship Bill had with family members.

I remember Anya as a toddler; she was born in the same year as my first child. My wife and I used to visit frequently with Bill and his wife at that time, when they lived in Mill Valley.

I first got to know Bill when he and I were attending Cal Western University in San Diego. Our fathers were colleagues who both worked at the US Navy Electronics Lab.

When I moved to the Bay Area in the 1960s, I reconnected with Bill when he was going to San Francisco State and living in Marin County.

Later, when I was attending reserve meetings of my medical unit at Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato, I would drop by to see Bill at his home in Marin. I have a vivid memory of the amazing organic garden he had developed at his home—which inspired me to create a similar garden at my home in San Jose.

I visited Bill at the facility where he worked with delinquent kids. Bill’s work with kids in trouble inspired me to change my career path and work as a counselor and a juvenile probation officer in Santa Clara County.

I have many memories of those times when Bill and I had long talks. I remember Bill as an enthusiastic, high energy person who was continually exploring intellectually what was happening in our society. He was both an attentive listener and a fountain of creative ideas. We had great conversations about what was going on in our lives.

The last time I saw Bill was when he and his wife visited me and my wife at our home in San Jose in the early 1970s. After that, Bill and I lost touch with each other, but I will never forget him.

—Phil Johnson

Hello to Bill’s family and friends—

I just learned about Bill’s passing. I am sending my deep condolences... Read more Hello to Bill’s family and friends—

I just learned about Bill’s passing. I am sending my deep condolences to all the members... Read more Hello to Bill’s family and friends—

I just learned... Read more

Anya Shortridge

Phil! Thank you so so much for these memories... You must be the "Phil" mentioned in his journals from that... Read more Phil! Thank you so so much for these memories... You must be the "Phil" mentioned in his journals from that time period as well... Read more Phil! Thank you so so much for these memories... You... Read more

Jenny Guinn

2019, The Going Queen in Portland Oregon aka Jenny’s house

He made it to see the house finished!!!♥️Relaxing with Abby after his flight.

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Anya Shortridge

Jenny Guinn

2012, Mount Shasta, CA, USA

Fun night out with dad and family.

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Jenny Guinn

Shared a heart

Jesse Cartwright

MY BROTHER BILL, I LOVE HIM
My brother was born with free feet. He once said that fences were like cobwebs at his feet and that his heart goes where the wild goose goes; this said after returning from walking through several private fences in the chase of wild ducks and geese for his table and children, much to my dismay as I stayed behind in the legal area to hunt worrying about him. It was not only signs and fences that he walked passed in his life, but dangerous areas that most would not go through, to include soft marshes with quicksand or the bad side of the tracks for a person he wanted to help. Woody Guthrie said that he once saw a sign that said no trespassing on one side but on the other side it said nothing; that was the side for him and Bill.
Bill never let a no trespassing, or no hunting sign interrupt the flow of direction and pursuit of his purpose. He hunted and fished where he pleased and was glad to argue the issue with the landowner any time they wanted. I saw him stand in front of an irate man with a shotgun defending his private property several times. He argued his freedom without regard to the others gun or harsh words. Bill had great intellect and often the aggressor found himself agreeing with Bill’s logic. Bills total self freedom always scared me a little, but also thrilled me too.
Bill always ate everything he killed, fish, fowl or four-legged animal. He was not one to take more than he could use for himself or his family but would not stop at the opportunity to bring home fresh meat regardless of restrictions the law may place upon it. He raised nine children on wild game and fish from the rivers, marshes and ocean and was a gourmet cook of said foods.
I love my brother and his total freedom with himself and others. It was this freedom that made him a great family and personal counselor, which was his trade for most of his life. Bill defended his freedom with the emotion and vigor of a bob cat and would not let a situation pass where anything that went against his principles was in progress. He was not a big man but would stand nose to nose with the biggest or most important of men to uphold what he believed to be the right thing or true. No man was any better than him or any worse than him. He was not aggressive to others but humble and loving.
He was all that Jesus would have wanted each of us to be, except that he could not rationalize Jesus into his scientific view of the world. I tried many times to enlighten him about Jesus, even to the point of coercing him one time when he was in the hospital with a severe heart condition, possibly not to come out of it, but although he agreed with me to make me feel better, he himself was still the same Bill.
Years after that accident that put him in the hospital, finally, in his last days he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior with His promise that he would go to Heaven when he died and be able to see Mom and Dad there. He will be so amazed at how much more he will see there, as our mother said at the time of her death, “They're all there!", and "It is so beautiful, you will be so amazed.” I believe he is in that beautiful place right now, and my heart is a peace with this knowledge.
He lived with the integrity gained from our father and mother and his own code of truth, freedom, and honesty. He has always had my respect and great love and I look forward to an eternity in Heaven with him.

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Comments:

David Peterson

Oh my, :) Awesome Oh my, :) Awesome Oh my, :) Awesome

Brett Cartwright

My summer with Uncle Bill was between 6th and 7th grade at his home in Dunsmuir.
Our main diversion was fishing the upper Sacramento River, for rainbow trout using nightcrawlers. I remember how he would water the prolific vegetable garden with his strong thumb over the end of the hose in the evening.
Then we would go out with flashlights a couple hours later and hunt nightcrawlers. I'd fall asleep seeing nightcrawlers in my dreams. Uncle Bill would shake me awake at o-dark-thirty, grab his thermos of black coffee, some granola bars, and fishing rods and we'd pile into his little pickup and head down to the river. Dawn would find us working our way down the bank, and soon Uncle Bill would cry, "Fish on!" We'd fish for a few hours or our worms were gone in those crisp mountain mornings. Surprising how good those cinnamon granola bars tasted sitting by the river with the fresh water scent in our noses. He joked his fishing guide book would be called "Worming the Upper Sacto with Bill Cartwright"
Love and miss you Uncle Bill!

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Cynthia Cartwright

One of my best memories of Uncle Bill is during s trip to Dunsmuir when he was showing us his glorious hillside garden. He explained yhathis technique was to sort of "Johnny Appleseed" his way around the garden. His gardens were truly a work of art and HEART which reflected the amazing man within🥰 ~CindyCartwright

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David Peterson

2007, San Diego, CA, USA

I was invited for a Goose dinner. Bill was in town visiting the Shortridge family(Ken and his daughter Anya),and what a feast. With Bill of coarse ,you got much more than just dinner, you get the package deal. Laughter ,kindness and the stories .Lets just say we got to know that Goose well before we ate him ,from procurement , packaging to presentation. So enjoyable. You felt as though you were with him on his grand adventure into the wild. A cup of coffee, Good times ;)

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Anya Shortridge

When Bill opened the box containing his published book, "La Jolla - Jewel of My Childhood."

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Comments:

David Peterson

Awesome book ,a great read.... Awesome book ,a great read.... Awesome book ,a great read....

Anya Shortridge

1978, I-5 Corridor, California

The family was traveling home to Dunsmuir from San Diego when someone shouted from the back - hey , where's Muffin (our sweet poodle dog)?

A frantic search throughout the van ensued, and Mollie, then youngest, crawled under the bed in back to see if he was there. He wasn't!

Dad, horrified, knew Muffin must not have jumped back in the van at the last rest stop. So we 180-ied it back down the freeway about a half an hour.

Dad got out and whistled his famous whistle calling for Muffin.
..............................
Muffin comes eagerly to his call - FROM THE VAN!!!

Boy did Dad 'cloud up and rain all over us' that day!

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