I got to meet Bill at one of the Boston Gamedays last year -- I gave him a lift from the train station to FickleGM's place and played in one of the two Sertorius playtests that he ran during the event. He had quite the sense of humor and was a wonderful GM.
After that, he e-mailed me to thank me for participating in the playtest. He could have just posted in the general Gameday thread, but he went the extra step to personally extend his thanks - I think that gives a sense of his character.
I hadn't spoken to him for some time after that, until he just recently joined my weekly gaming group in Beverly. Over the past 6 weeks, I had the privilege to become friends with him, enjoying his sense of humor, limitless imagination, and his excitement for game discussions - he was a thoughtful guy and will be missed.
Early this afternoon, a friend and I managed to make it to his memorial service - though there was a touch of the somber feeling prevalent in most memorials, his was filled with a great deal of laughter. The room was filled with people whose lives had been made richer for knowing him. Family and lifelong friends took turns recalling what they loved best about him and shared anecdotes that they felt highlighted Bill's most memorable qualities.
I just had him over to my house for gaming this past Monday night - fun was had as usual. On occassion, he'd share a witty game-related pun with a wink and a laugh. Though the time I knew him was brief, he was a friend and will be remembered most for that.
