Bill Hemphill Has Passed Away

[+Haggis Hunter]

Bill passed away at 5.00am this morning. He died peacefully at home in his own bed and, more importantly, Angela was with him at the end . His funeral will be held this Wednesday, 22nd February at 2.30pm at Craigton Crematorium. Angela has asked for the hearse to leave from their house at 2.10pm so they can have one last journey together.

 

I don't know at this time whether Angela would like guests at the funeral or not yet? Angela has thanked everybody for their support during Bill's illness, and has said both of them appreciated it.

 

Although I am sure everyone knows who Bill Hemphill is, for those that don't he was part of Team Ullium and he has been battling cancer since last year.

 

All our thoughts should now be with Angela and her family.

[+Stuey]

That's very sad news Dave, although not completely unexpected it is still very sad. Thanks for keeping us up to date with news on Bill's health in previous months, and please pass on my kindest wishes to Angela if/when you see her.

 

I'll never forget meeting Bill by chance when we were in Scotland at Waterfall and Ruin. It was such a nice cache, made better by Bill and Angela's company on the walk there and back.

 

Stuey

Edited February 18, 2006 by Stuey

[+Cave Troll and Eeyore]

Please pass on our Deepest Sympathy to Angela and the family at this sad time.

 

Cave Troll & Eeyore

[+woZere]

A true geocaching gentleman, who will be remembered with effection by us all. Angela our thoughts go out to you at this time and to your family.

[Deego]

Very Sad news

 

as others have said please pass on my best wishes to Angela

[+Brenin Tegeingl]

The thoughts of my family and I are with Angela and family at this sad time.

 

Dave

[+mongoose39uk]

Very sad news as others have said.

 

Please pass on my best wishes to his family

[Lentil]

Please pass on my sympathy to his wife,

Regards

Doug.

[markandlynn]

Why do all the best people have to be taken first.

Our deepest sympathy to Angela and all around him

 

Mark AND Lynn.

[+ANDYBUG&LADYBIRD]

We have been thinking often about Bill and his family since the news came that he was ill, sorry to hear that he has now gone. Please pass our sincere condolences to Angela and the rest of the family.

Andy&Kerrie

[+walkergeoff and wife]

Please pass our sympathy on to Angela and the family. I never met either of them, but somehow, that doesn't seem to matter.

[+The Tupperware Party]

although we knew this was coming, we are both very shocked and very upset about this news.

 

from the comments on this forum it is clear that the man was a geocaching legend, and the game is now a bit sadder without him around.

 

let's do a tribute cache for him. he deserves it.

[+wigglesworth]

Please pass on our thoughts. We met Bill at a cachers meet and enjoyed his company!

 

Peter

[+Team Maddie UK]

Martin and I also wish to express our deepest sympathies to Angela and any other family members. It was great that they were able to attend Shrops last September and that we finally got to meet them. He will fondly be remembered.

 

Lynn

[+badger]

I had the pleasure of meeting Bill at the Shropshire Event, he will be missed. He was a true gent.

 

[+rutson]

I never had the pleasure of meeting Bill, but it's always a sad day when a community member passes away.

 

Rest in peace, Bill.

 

My thoughts are with his family this evening.

[+DTJM]

Very sad news.

Our sincere condolences to Angela & family

 

Denise & Tim

Edited February 19, 2006 by DTJM

[+steviep]

sad day, my thoughts are with all!

[+wildlifewriter]

'Bye, mate...

 

 

-Wlw

Edited February 19, 2006 by wildlifewriter

[+Haggis Hunter]

'Bye, mate...

 

 

-Wlw

 

Out of all the nice things that have been said on here, this post is the one that has left the lump in my throat.

I think it may be due to the fact that the day the picture was taken was an extremely enjoyable day*, and I had just finished having a good long laugh at Bill, Angela and Paul.

Certainly a day and a friend that I won't ever forget.

 

*One of many enjoyable days that I have had the honour to spend with Bill and Angela.

[+KiwiGary]

Please pass both of our condolences on to Angela.

 

We meet Bill at the Shropshire event and I remember him being a real character. He was telling us about the good caches up his way.

 

Sad news indeed.

 

Gary and Margaret

[+Bill D (wwh)]

That's very sad news - my condolences to Angela and family. I never met Bill, but I enjoyed reading his forum posts, and he was obviously widely known and much loved and respected in the caching community.

[+Mustard Devil]

A brief candle, both ends burning, an endless mile, a bus wheel turning,

So say it loud and let it ring, that we're all part of everything,

the present, future and the past,

fly on proud bird, your free at last.

Goodbye Bill.

[+perth pathfinders]

Bill always had a smile for everyone, and that is how he will be remembered.

 

My condolences to Angela at this sad time.

 

Sooo

[+Billy Twigger]

I’ve known Bill for less than two years and the first time I met him was at the SGDO in Bute last year. The thing that strikes me as strange is that I have only known him for a short time, because I feel as if I’ve known him all my life. I’m pretty certain that anyone who has met Bill and spent any time in conversation with him will feel the same.

Bill had many interests and could talk to anyone about anything, but what came across to me was that his main interest was the people around him. I think for Bill, geocaching brought together his love of the outdoors and his love of friends and friendship. Just look at the number of event caches he attended, including a haul to Shropshire and back as recently as September!

He had that special gift of warmth that made you feel that you were his best friend. Everyone was included, but I’m convinced everyone was special to him.

And his most special friend of all? – Angela. He loved and adored Angela, his eyes sparkled when he looked at her! You only need to skim through his logs to see her there with him. Poor Angela must be devastated. I hope she knows that we’re all thinking about her when we think about Bill.

 

 

Bill at the Shropshire cache bash

[+Moote]

Words can be hard to find at a time like this, I never met Bill but I know he was respected by many, my Sympathy goes out to Bill's family and friends.

 

Milton

[+lizzardman]

Met Bill at The Shropshire Camping Bash - like other have said - A true gent!

 

Goodnight, god bless.

[+The Ollies]

Our condolences go out to Bills wife and family. As everyone else has already said he will be sorely missed by us all. We had the pleasure of meeting Bill at the Shropshire event and his warmth, humour and the way he greeted every caching team that evening has placed a lasting memory on our minds.

[+Pharisee]

That's sad news indeed. My thoughts are with Angela and the rest of his family.

 

I first met Bill and Angela on the way to 'Waterfall and Ruin' a couple of years ago. Since that time we've met again on several occasions, sunk a pint or three of good Scottish ale and chatted about our shared interests.... which weren't limited to geocaching. Bill was an 'old biker' too and we had more in common than I could have imagined. I'm proud to be able to say that he was a friend.

 

I'm going to stop there, 'cos I can't see through my tears

[+Team Clova]

This is certainly is sad, if not unexpected news.

 

If someone is in contact with Angela and the rest of his family could you please pass on our condolences.

 

Im sure it will be a comfort to them to know how well thought of he was amongst the geocaching community throuout the UK.

[+Happy Humphrey]

 

I'm proud that I introduced Bill to geocaching: a hobby which suited his outgoing character and love of the outdoors. But of course, this was only part of a short closing chapter in a full and varied life, from boxer and Glasgow cinema "bouncer" to marathon runner and Maths graduate (via fisherman and wilderness explorer). And a lot more!

 

With a robust and cheeky sense of humour, and an Ally McCoist twinkle in his eye, Bill would only upset those who didn't see that his straightforward approach was backed by a great warmth and generosity. It was a privilege to spend a couple of days in the company of Bill and Angela last year, and so sad that, after his health seemed to be picking up at last, he was struck down so cruelly. Hopefully, the caches he set up will continue for some time, as our memorial to a fine man.

 

HH

 

(Photo: Bill on top of the hill near Today's Waddle which we enjoyed together last January - note the trademark Leki Pole).

[+allieballie]

The first time I met Bill and Angela was at the first Scottish Geocachers Day Out in August 2004. Whilst everyone else was climbing Ben Nevis, we had planned an assault on the lower level caches. We had arranged to meet at a car park on Rannoch Moor, but the midgies were out in such swarms that we couldn’t leave the safety of our cars. Instead we sat there, parked side by side and spoke to each other on our mobile phones! That first day I spent in Bill’s company showed me exactly what kind of man he was - generous, thoughtful and with a wicked sense of humour! We even saw the infamous leki pole in action that day - he stood in the middle of a fast-flowing burn and made us grab hold of it whilst he helped pull us over the water.

 

Since that day, there have been many more occasions where I have spent time in Bills company - both out caching and socially, and I have so many memories of him. These include:

Bill moving one of my caches (on my request) and someone trying to find it at the old hiding place the following day - Bill laughed so much about that (sorry Jodel!)

Bill being my guide during a caching trip to Glasgow - I would never have found my way to the caches so quickly without Bill to tell me what roads to take - this was particularly amazing because I usually used to tease him about his navigation skills after having previous experience of following him on convoluted routes to cache sites!

Bill’s relationship with my wee man - who he always called his “wee pal”

Bill insisting to me that he would be able to solve marmals “Su Doku Lagoons” cache in about half an hour!

 

This latter memory is connected to something that I will always treasure - Bill was my puzzle cache partner. We would usually work on them together, sharing ideas and thoughts, but still doing the hard bits individually - if one of us had solved a section we would encourage the other to get there too, so we both had the satisfaction of having cracked them. If we thought we’d solved it, and if the cache happened to be nearer to my area of Scotland, I would go to look for it and once I’d found it I would phone him straight away - he would always be so chuffed that we’d solved it successfully! Since his illness, puzzle caches haven’t held the same appeal for me.

 

He was one of a kind, and I will miss him so much.

[+Molinnis]

Only met Bill the once at "waterfall and ruin" Aug 04, But can still remember to this day what a wonderful person he came across as. Whenever I think of that great event organised by the Scottish Geocachers and my first ascent of Ben Nevis, I always remember the evening before meeting Bill and Angela. Very very sad news.

 

Please pass my condolences onto Angela.

 

Mike

[+Mad H@ter]

A very sad day, we only met Bill the once, but often chatted with him on MSN. He will be missed by many.

Our condolences go out to Angela and the rest of his family

[+G Force]

Very sad news. Although I never met him it sounds like the geocaching community has lost a very much loved and cherished member.

Our wishes and condolences go out to Angela and all of you who have fond memories of him.

[+Haggis Hunter]

Myself and a few others attended Bill's funeral today. You don't know half of what a person has done in their life until they have gone. It was not surprising why Bill had a story for every occassion

 

I told Angela about the positive response on both GeoX and here, and she was touched by the kindness.

 

Although it is still early days for Angela, we were pleased to hear her say that she was going to carry on with Geocaching. So please don't be confused if you see Team Ullium logging caches.

I wish Angela all the best for the future and she knows that we are here for her if she needs us.