[CQ-Contest] Goodbye Bill

[K4RO Kirk Pickering]

This has been a tough time.  I barely know
what to write, and it's been a week now.
Here is what it was like for me to know W4AN.

Bill and I were only two months apart in age, and
I was pretty much in awe of the man. Just as the
Tennessee Contest Group was forming, Trey Garlough
(WN4KKN/N5KO/HC8N) led the way to online contesting
discussion with with CQ-Contest at TGV.COM. Bill Fisher 
took the flag and ran with it.   After W4AN established
Contesting.Com, I was convinced that the TCG needed an 
online forum, and I set up a mailing list and website for 
the Group.  I knew these guys were on to something, and I 
tried to pay close attention to their on-air and on-line 
activities.  Trey and Bill both were on their way to 
becoming world-class contesters, with amazing CW and 
online community building skills.

Though I hardly knew the man, Bill Fisher's 
effect on me was strong. By good fortune and
good friend, I had the opportunity to operate
with Bill twice. The first time was CQWW CW 2001.
the crew was W4AN, W4PA, W4OC and K4RO. Scott put 
in the good word for me. I had to (regretfully) 
turn down an opportunity to sit at K3LR the previous
season, and I was determined to make it to Bill's.
I was scared out of my wits.  I felt like I had been
summoned to Mount Olyumpus to operate with Zeus. It 
was my first taste of world-class multi-op contesting.
My happiest moment of the weekend was when Bill walked 
into the shack about 36 hours into it and said, "this
is a good team."  That's all it took.  That and the
incredible experience of Going For It with The Best.

I was honored to be invited back for ARRL DX CW 2002,
where I got to operate with low band experts W8JI and 
K9AY, along with  Bill and his WRTC partner K4BAI.
This was another multi-op thrill from the Dahlonega
mountaintop, and I marvelled at every minute. I have
two memories that stick out from that weekend.  The first
was when I was running EU in the morning, and Bill was 
stooped over with me with split headphones listening
to me operate.  I was so nervous I could barely operate.
He was correcting and complimenting me in Real Time and
I was just overloading mentally.  I looked at Bill and 
shouted "YOU'RE MAKING ME NERVOUS."  He cracked a small
grin, put his hand on my shoulder and said "I have that
effect on people." I stopped being nervous and dug into
the pileup with gusto. Bill's intensity was greater than 
a 3-500Z at 2KW RTTY. The second memory was seeing the
labels on the operating table which read "I love You" and 
"I miss you" which were obviously placed there by his family. 

After the birth of Erik, Bill made it clear that he was 
going to sacrifice his love of contesting to spend more
time with his son. I was disappointed at the prospect of 
not operating again from Dahlonega for a while, but I was 
also looking forward to someday again getting that orange 
north Georgia clay all over everything again, and operating 
with The Best.

The last year, my only contact wil Bill was during CW Sprint
time. It was always an honor to try to do my best, so that
I might make it to Team 1 in the South East Sprint Consortium.
Bill could motivate me with with a one sentence email.  Like this:

Fisher: "Are you ready to be on Team One for SCCC Sprint OM?"
Me to myself: "(Holy $#!+ I better get my act together now!)"
...
Then I'd spend the next month on the air trying to get my
CW skills polished to the best of my ability.  That's the
kind of leader Bill was.  He was honest to the bone, and he
commanded my respect as a result. He was honest, but he had
a heart like no other.  There was a compassion behind his honesty
in that you knew he exhausted every possiblity before assuring
you that he was right. He didn't waste your time with any BS, and 
he asked the same in return. I really respected that.

The amazing quality that I remember most about Bill
was how much a good word from him meant.  Like it
or not, we've chosen one another as peers.  There
was something so genuine about Bill that it was like
he had paid all the dues anyone could possibly pay.
If he gave you a good word, you can bet it was earned.

Two of my most admired contesting comrades and teammates
have passed on since our last CW Sprint together just 
two months ago. I feel a hole like I've never felt before,
despite many encounters with death.  We were a big part of 
Bill's family.  I think about how he chose us as HIS peer 
group, if not his adopted family. I remember that Bill Fisher 
knew a good thing (and good people) when he saw it. 

I doubt anyone of us really know the lengths Bill went to
in order to earn our respect.  That we were able to return
some of that respect this weekend is the only thing that
has made any sense to me since last Sunday.

I'll miss you and remember you OM.

73 

-Kirk  K4RO