[at-l] William Henry Hawkins

[atr3dhead at gmail.com (r3d head)]

Wild Bill . . . I was stunned to see that post. He was a man with a huge
heart. Also one of the group of at'lers dear to my heart - one of those who
got to know Mom thru the list before she died. He was so very supportive of
our plans for our Thru - always ready with an answer or encouraging word -
and the quickest links in the world. He and Mom spent many nights chatting
on Instant Messenger - and he was a huge source of comfort to her after she
was diagnosed, and then thru the months before her death. They both slept
very little, and I found a huge amount of saved conversations from the wee
hours of the morning between the two of them after she died.

I have wondered a lot over the past two years where he disappeared to, and
had no way to get in touch with him.

I wish I still had those pictures of him - the one at the beginning of his
thru hike - very overweight and not given good odds to make the journey -
and the triumphant, skinny one of him on Katahdin. It wasn't the first time
he perservered and beat rotten odds.

He was also around to talk to me on many occassions when Shannon joined the
Marines and I was coming to terms with her being gone.

He served our country well - he served the Trail well - and he served his
friends well. He will be sorely missed by this redhead . . .

Red