Hi Rooney Family - 

Our family was so saddened to hear of Bill's passing. He and Aunt Rita were part of our lives and so many memories since 1979. I'm very grateful that I was able to have a close friendship with Uncle Bill that was separate from Dad's relationship. 

 With much love, 

John Burke

It's been roughly 38 years since I started my relationship with Bill via his first daughter. Right from the start, we competed with one another. First in the "Charming" category with me trying to impress on him that I was the right guy for Karen, and him being welcoming and trying not to be intimidating (lest he ruin any chance of me taking Karen off his hands)! 

Competition was the theme during each meeting we've had. Be they on a tennis or basketball court, how far we could toss a football, or racking up 'miles' on a running route. Being younger, it was incumbent on me to outdo him, lest I greatly insult him by giving less than my best effort. He was gracious when I bested him and even more elated when he genuinely beat me; qualifying with his favorite reminder, "Age & treachery will always overwhelm youth & skill."

However...I offered no competition whatsoever when it came to other outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, foraging, or hunting (if it were something I engaged in;  the only firearm I'd previously ever unloaded used rubber bands for ammo). I respectfully bowed down to the man that edited for the likes of Outdoor Life, American Hunter, and American Forests magazines, (for crying out loud)! If I ever felt the need to impress anyone, I'd easily name-drop Bill!

I will miss this guy, even as challenging as it had been the past 2 years as housemates. Without regret, he has indelibly impacted my history profoundly, leaving me with some life lessons that perhaps were gaps left by my own father; making me a better, more resilient and loving man, so that I may serve as a source of pride for those that I too, will someday leave behind. 

I chose the following (combined) quotes to help remind me of the man they call Bill:

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail." (- RWE)  

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." (HDT)

In Peace You Shall Rest.

Ever competitive, he wasn't about to give in to those fancy new squeezable sour cream bottles!

He did not dress this way because of a photoshoot for an outdoor magazine. This was his signature everyday style.

Bill noticed he was related to a cactus: tendency to be prickly at times, but soft inside ;)

Inseparable

If you know Bill, you recognize that look in his gaze: "How can I forge a new path up that mountain on the horizon."

Bill wasn't too particular about how I cut his 'hair', but like real estate... "location, location, location"

Our sincerest condolences to the whole family..May Bill rest in peace 

I'm sorry for your loss, and I will pray that the Holy Spirit will comfort you and guide you through this time of grief.

Well, Heaven just got a whole lot funnier! The first time I met dear Bill was when Karen, my longtime dear friend and college roomie, invited me over to their house to meet her parents. I had long, curly "big" hair and when Bill opened the front door to greet me, he said "I don't know whether to offer you a drink or a dog biscuit!" Karen and Rita were standing there mortified at how he greeted me, but I just laughed and asked him what was on tap. This was the beginning of a long and special friendship with my bestie's wonderful parents, who welcomed me into their family like I was one of their own. Bill and Rita even invited me on family vacations in Chincoteague over the years. I will always cherish those beautiful memories of how Bill filled the room with love and laughter, making everyone around him feel cheerful and special. Bill, thank you for that moment that I will always treasure and still makes me laugh to this day! "Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories." - Ronald Reagan