Billy Hartwick

This Feb 7 we will celebrate Bill's beautiful life. Gone so suddenly, he held a special place in all our hearts and lives. He wore a long list of titles,son, husband, father, brother in law, uncle, son in law and friend. A great guy, always willing to give a hand. The Hoban family welcomed him February 1985 when he married Eileen. One of my favorite memories is the Halloween parties at the Smith house. Those were the days. 

On the water

On the water, on a bigger boat. Cruising Alaska

Here's is a memory from a new cousin:

Jesse had told me about his cousin’s Big O Tires shop in Needles.  Even before I met Jesse, I was in Needles and the surrounding area, on a regular basis for one of my company’s projects.  Anyway, I kept looking off the freeway and in the nearby area and never saw a Big O Tires.  It was the day we met with the Mayor of Needles that as we made that last turn, I saw it!  I was with a colleague and said, “after this meeting, I am going into Big O”.  I went in and asked for Eileen.  They said she was off but Bill was there.  They told me to go through the doors into the shop.  I thought that was so cool, as only in a small town would they just say, “…sure, go into the shop”.  I went in there and asked for Bill.  They pointed me to his desk. I introduced myself stating that I was marrying Sharon McIntyre (Hoban’s) son in Michigan and that Sharon was Tom’s sister. It took him a minute to process (heck, it took me that long too), and he said, “What the hell are you doing here?” with a big smile on his face. He was very kind.  Bill was the very first of Jesse’s CA family that I met.  Shortly thereafter, I was back in town, and I went to dinner with Bill and Eileen. It was such a nice time. Eileen was asking about the work I did there, and with me being so “passionate” (ha) and fairly “high strung”, Bill said to me something like…”You aren’t working. Take a deep breath and have a beer.”  He was totally correct.  I then asked how they met, and it was simply charming.  I may butcher this a bit but something to the effect that Eileen was visiting a friend, and the friend’s brother (Bill) was to drive them around in a boat.  Ultimately, Eileen came to Needles and never looked back. :)  True love and its finest.  I remember them smiling at each other as they told me that story, and me smiling not only at them but inside, as I felt I had found that love with my husband-to-be.  A very fond memory….fond indeed.  

Much love, 

Christine