Billy with his sister, Valarie
Billy
William F. (Billy) Lanphere
8/26/71
- 7/8/97
Billy's Story
(As told by his sister, Valarie)
Billy was
very well liked. He got along with someone who was rich, or someone
who was poor. He liked people for who they were, not what they had.
A week
before Billy died he had made a comment that he was a very lucky
person. He was very proud. He had a good job. He was 25 and
had bought a house a year before, had 2 cars, a motorcycle, buying a
boat in 2 weeks and he and his fiancé were happy. He helped raise Beth's son for six
years. Billy was Aaron's "Dad".
My brother
and I threw our parents a huge 30th wedding anniversary party just
three days before he died. That's the last time I saw him
alive. It was a wonderful last memory I think for
everyone. People traveled for this party which to us made it
weird that everyone saw him for the last time that day.
Billy's last day was July 8th, 1997. He had come home from work and
his friend Chuck called him and asked for a ride because his wife
wasn't home yet. Billy, being the way he was, said ok. He picked up
his other friend Bob and headed to Chuck's house. When they got to Chuck's, his
wife had come home so he did not need the ride. Billy's fiancé's car was acting up so Billy figured him and Bob could go to another
friend's house and work on it.
Billy left
Chuck's and turned down the road. About 1/2 a mile from Chuck's
house, a 5 time dd (drunk driver) with a BAC (Blood Alcohol
Concentration) of nearly three times the legal limit with no license
was heading home. It was about 7:30 pm. As the were
heading towards each other on a long straight a way road, for no
known reason, the dd made a sharp turn right into my brother!
The way it seems, (and I choose to believe), there was no warning
before the crash. Billy did not know a thing.
The dd was
driving a big ford F350 pickup with a heavy duty plow frame on the
front of it. Billy died on impact from at least five fatal
injuries. The passenger, (Bob) in my brothers car was hurt very
badly. Bob was airlifted and not expected to make it.
Today, Bob is alive!!!! He is amazing. I am so proud of
him. He had been in coma for a while and had to learn to walk
and talk, etc again. He has permanent brain damage to this
day. The dd basically got a bump on his head and that was it.
Billy was my
life. I remember that night. I worked a very early
morning shift and was trying to get to bed. I remember hearing the
fire alarms going off at the fire house and looking at the clock. It
was 7:30pm . Little did I know, that my brother's precious life had
ended at that moment. I wrote about my reaction when my dad
told me he was dead. It
is on my website.
Life as I
knew it will never be the same. I do go on. I have 2
daughters. Billy met Kimmy, but never Karyn. My brother is in
my life everyday. I think of how he would have been for the
birth of my second child. How proud he would be to see the
house I bought 2 years ago, etc. I will see him again someday.
Until then, he stays with me in my heart.......nobody can take that
away !!!
I love
you, Billy,
Your sister,
Val.
Note:
To visit Valarie's tribute to Billy, click
here.
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