Pamela Ekstrom
My Uncle Bill was a mighty big man to me for 68 years. We met when I was 3. I remember looking up at him and seeing that smile that I will miss until we are reunited again. He helped raise me until I was 7 and he made life fun. He and his sister, Sandy, would take us sledding, to Christmas parades and the Santa house that used to magically appear in the center of town over night. He would read to me and dance with me. Every child in the family kind of claimed him as their favorite. When I was older I'd visit every year and we would watch James Bond movies. He could watch those repeatedly much to Aunt Rose's dismay after awhile. She said she just knew he could do the dialogue for every one of them. Aunt Rose was a gift he gave me later in life and she was the icing on the cake as far as he was concerned. You could say Billy had a way of bringing light and joy into the lives of all who knew him and I was blessed to call him my Uncle Billy. I'm going to miss him.