9. 12. 31 – 16. 12. 16. Died peacefully at home with his loving family beside him. Married for 48 years to Ann, father to Robert and Nicholas and father-in-law to Fleur, loving Papa to Liberty and Holly and Pops to Etienne and Manon. Rest in peace, Billy. What is dying?I am standing on the seashore, a ship sails in the morning breeze and starts for the ocean. She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says, “She is gone”. Gone!Where?Gone from my sight that is all. She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her, and just at the moment when someone at my side says, “She is gone”, there are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout, “There she comes!”, and that is dying. Funeral serviceRelatives and friends wishing to attend the funeral are invited to meet at Gouray Church on Thursday, 22 December at 10 am followed by private committal. Bright colours to be worn. Family flowers only. Donations, in lieu of flowers, in memory of Bill may be sent to Family Nursing & Home Care (Jersey) Inc. , c/o Hon Treasurer Mrs J Gavey, Le Bas Centre, St Saviour’s Road, St Helier, JE2 4RP or Jersey Hospice Care, Clarkson House, Mont Cochon, St Helier, JE2 3JB. All inquiries to Pitcher & Le Quesne, Funeral Directors, Telephone 733330.
