02/04/05
Deacon Balliew
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| Bill Childers (right) smiles during a recent trip to Haiti where a local group of volunteers known as The Group runs a pre-school led by Roger Honore (left). |
At 11:11 p.m. Dec. 10, 2004 Calhoun became a poorer community; one of its valuable champions continued with the next leg of the mission the Lord placed him on so many years ago.
The Lord called him to Heaven. I don’t know how many angels the Lord had plans for men to be; if he has that mission planned for my friend Bill, I can see why.
Bill was a friend of mine as he was to many. As a friend of mine he was special and different than most, one with whom I shared many things in common. We were different, but the same. We had different experiences and different ideas about many things.
Yet, among a few things, we had a common love and interest in helping the less fortunate and especially a troubled child.
I have always as my grandmother taught me as a child, remember a person’s dash. I here need to explain her idea of a person’s dash.
I can hear that gentle Christian voice now, “When you were born you had a birth date, you lived, and when you die you have a death date. The time you lived here on this earth will be a dash between those two dates on your tombstone.”
I felt I needed to place in history a small part of my friend Bill Childers’ dash.
I will share along with a group of his other friends a part of my friend’s history with our comments.
Bill was the type of person who had a style that “shot from the hip” as people would say. A few misunderstood him because of that. He called it as he saw it and that sometimes got him in trouble and made him a bit controversial.
However, nobody can say he didn’t have his heart in the right place. He had an excessive love and interest in helping people with troubles.
He had an unmistakable set of values and was quick to defend them. I truly enjoyed seeing him in action defending them, and so did the Lord, I’ll bet.
I will relay as best as I can the heart of my conversations with several of his friend and colleagues. Their comments were as varied as were his friends.
“Bill was one of the sharpest fellows with whom I have had the pleasure of working. Infectiously curious, playfully serious, razor sharp, generous of heart, and wonderfully open minded. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Over the years we had a couple of spats, but on both occasions he ate humble pie in a way that only a special kind of friend could have had. He probably didn’t have to, but he did. That spoke volumes about Bill Childers.
“Bill Childers juggled a work load that surprised many of us. As soon as a problem, challenge, or opportunity presented itself Brother Bill was off. Another ball was tossed into an already seriously tight game.”
“Bill enthused and inspired us all, young and old, seasoned and wet behind the ears. I cannot bear to think the Big Man’s face will never again peer around my door. Those of us who have had the pleasure of working with Bill Childers know how fortunate we are.”
“Bill was not always right, but he was always certain. He was not always polished, but he was always bright. He was always busy, but was always accessible. He had a temper, but you had to work hard to find that out. He had a sense of humor, which he showed whenever you let him. I will treasure the time I got to spend with him.”
“How sad I was to hear of Bill’s passing. I feel fortunate to have known Bill as a mentor and friend. He was inspirational, and his enthusiasm was infectious.”
“Bill’s passing was a significant loss to our community and me personally. He was truly a hero in our community, he will be missed, and the Republican Party will absolutely feel the loss also.”
The young people’s feelings, Bill loved so much, and who loved him, were best expressed by one young fellow.
“Mister Bill was my buddy and I love him a bunch. And I miss him a whole bunch.”
Bill most of his life was surrounded with children, starting as a young man coaching Little League baseball, Pop Warner football, and teaching them the values that a positive role model should, and that he was one who cared about them.
As the director of the Winner’s Club, an organization that worked with troubled young people, I was extremely pleased and honored to have seen his caring and being cared for by those young people. There were many of them who were terribly saddened when they were informed that Mr. Bill had been called to heaven.
With the Lions Club as a member and former president he was a driving force in the club’s success in supplying glasses to the needy and getting a seeing eye dog placed with a deserving resident in Gordon County. His involvement as a board member in the Providence Ministries organization as stated by a member was outstanding, and he will be truly missed. He was a devout Republican and helped establish it as the prominent party in our county.
Most of all Bill was a Christian and was very quick to let you know how pleased he was when given a chance to tell you about his beliefs. He was also very involved in his church with a great respect by his parishioners.
The poorest of the poor Haitian child is a child who without some sort of intervention will become starved to the point they will develop severe mental limitation, and could possibly die.
Bill was instrumental in helping start a preschool for those children. His caring for them had almost become an obsession with him, having seen those children on several occasions when visiting Haiti. Seeing first hand the deprived and starving ones, had a lasting impact on his life.
He marched fearlessly throughout our community, carrying his message of hope for them if we cared enough. Hope that we as a community could provide for those children, through sponsorships, and give them an excellent start on their trail towards an education in our Pre School, but maybe save their lives in the meantime with the meals we provided for them.
His message was heard and responded to in a miraculous way. There are children who are living today, because of his efforts. I know I have seen them personally when visiting our Pre School. His last thoughts were about his kids in our Pre School.
Bill Childers, my friend, this has only been a small glimpse at your dash. I can say you had an impact on me and my life.
“Shooting from the hip,” you better believe it. You were very respected and loved. Our community will really feel your not being here, especially your loving family.
A fellow by the name of Bill Childers when I was feeling a terrible loss said, “You know what she would do and say, she is just not here to say it.” Thanks for the advice, my friend; I will remember and cherish it always.