William (Bill) Roy Kemmeries, Jr. first and foremost, he is a devoted and faithful child of God, adopted, chosen, because of the deep love and admiration, which the father has for Bill. So much so that Christ Jesus , humbled himself, and was born, learned to walk, talk, and lived a perfect life, giving himself a death of sham and scandal, like a common criminal, was resurrected, and showed himself, to countless people, then left—but promising to return again.
This is what Bill put his faith, and his life into. This is a very large and important part of his identity and life. This is makes him either wrong, misguided, foolish, or based on God’s criterion, an adopted Child of God, and worthy of running a good race. This is not for us to decide, but for us to make a choice about who we are, and who God is, and what He wants us to do with the remaining life we have.
I first meet Bill, around May 1987, when he was working as the Assistant to the Pastor at Evangelical Lutheran Church of the King. Bill & I became good friends, and spent a great deal of time together. We would load Bill’s sexy car, littered with all kinds of bumper stickers, and so ugly that we thought that his parents would someday tell him that he had to park the car out of the neighborhood. We would drive the car filled with food to the Prima Vera shelter, and feed the homeless men there. On the way, Bill would turn on the radio, and hit country music every time, and then he would tell a story about the song. That car was the Pride of North Wilshire Blvd, and the blithe of the neighborhood. Bill worked hard at being the “community organizer” of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the King (ELCK), where he motivated and charmed the members into being active. He made people feel not only welcome, but that they were his friend, and trusted him. He was an important part of the fast growth of the congregation.
One day Bill & I had our pictures taken for the church directory. I was in a suit, even though it was the middle of the summer, as I recall. Bill decided that he only needed to dress in a white shirt and tie, and a blazer. He was dressed in his usual khaki shorts and tennis shoes, white dress shirt and tie, and blue sport coat. Pastor Richard Vevia, called Bill and asked if we would go to TMC and visit two people who were in the hospital. Bill walked into the hospital dress in tennis shoes, khaki shorts, white shirt, Ivy League Tie, blue blazer. The nursing staff had a field day with Bill, as well as the two people we visited that day. This is classic Bill, at his best.
Bill was a lover of jokes, and funny stories. He has many binders full of funny stories, jokes, and he for a long time would attach one of them with anything he was mailing out to friends and family. He was a big fan of Don Larson’s Far Side strips. Bill loved humor, and often used humor to break the ice. He also would pass out each day a copy of his favorite funny story, and “the Four Spiritual Laws” to some random person, he would meet. He would also take out a small pocket notebook, and write down prayer requests people would voice to him, including strangers, and he would actually pray for them, in private. I became a big fan of Far Side, because of Bill. Your legacy carries on.
The more I think about this, the more I think that it became a fact yesterday. Bill’s love of movies, and his devotion to Christ Jesus….as Bill met with Jesus yesterday, I am convinced that his first words were, “Have you seen any good movies lately?’ Bill and I have seen many movies over the years. Years ago, Bill would rally a large group of people (20-40) and see a movie together. Bill was a pacifist, he was ordained into the Mennonite Church, but he also loved war movies, and bloody battles. Especially civil war movies. His favorite all time movie is “To Kill a Mockingbird” I always thought that Bill made a good movie critic, it was one of his passions in life. I remember one time Bill got a group to go to the movies with him. It was shortly after one of my surgeries on my foot in the last century, and it was at the Loft Theater, and it was on the second floor theater. I was on crutches, but could walk on both feet. We also took Melinda Dulley, who is a paraplegic in a wheel chair. We had to carry her upstairs, and then get her wheel chair. It was fun, and interesting. I also remember the movie.
Bill also loved a party, and he would host some really good and fun parties. “Back in the day” parties on North Wilshire Blvd were famous city wide. We had some great times…and awesome memories. Bill hosted a gigantic party, our last at North Wilshire Blvd. Bill was going to the UA to get his teaching certificate, and he not only invited the usual cast of people, but the entire campus, and they came in droves. Bill’s mother came home, and saw a crowd of people who she did not recognize, or know, and was not a happy camper. That was a fun and tame party. We had several parties that included, playing a self-styled “Pictionary” game, that got so intense that some fell backwards in their chair in the dining room, and breaking a light plug, not to worry, the dining room was going to be remodeled the next week. I think that two of my favorite parties were the charades party Bill organized , and a Mo-town party, that was held at someone else’s home. The charades party had maybe 30-40 sitting on the floor in the living room, and divided into teams. I had the book/movie North & South. My attempt at this had people rolling with laughter on the floor. At one point, I pointed to a girl who was from the South, and a girl who was from the North, and pointed to them, making a compass sign, and no one got it. I can still hear Bill’s laughter that night, as I revealed my words, and my futility. Those were the days, my friend….Party ON Dude!!!!
Bill’s choices of jobs, tells a great deal about Bill. After Bill got his degree from some obscure college in the northern California area, called Stanford University, where he was student body President, and wrote a humor column for the paper, while earning a degree in History. Bill was also a little brother to a soriety house, where he dress up in drag, complete with a Coconut shell bra, and grass skirt, for a skit, or so he told the story. I remember seeing the picture on the kitchen refrigerator, on the North Wilshire Blvd house. Bill Kemmeries at a college that lacked a world class basketball team. Interesting!!! Bill also spent a year in college, studying in France. He was famous in France, because He would tell jokes using a fake French accent, but using the English language. Well that may not be completely true, But it is possible, and very much Bill-esque. After Stanford, and before law school in Virginia, bill took a job with Food for the Hungary, headquartered in Phoenix.
After college Bill, became a Christian, and to him, it made perfect since to work for a Christian organization. At Food for the Hungry, bill worked as a development coordinator, and honed his skills in direct mail marketing. He did a good job. During this time, the job required that Bill pray on a daily basis, at work.
Bill also worked as Assistant to the Pastor of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the King, where we first met, and became the Laurel & Hardy of the church. I was Stan, and Bill was Oliver, at least that is how I remember it being. I remember Someone got each of us a framed picture of Laurel & Hardy, and that picture made us famous, and when we were not together, they would ask us where was Laurel or where was Hardy. Our church became very dysfunctional, and went through a split. One Sunday, we had a congregational meeting, after the service. It was so intense that we had a court reporter taking the statements down. Bill got up, and introduced himself as, “Hi, my name is Bill Kemmeries, male prostitute. The laughter was a good break, but was not too last. I got up and two men, started to fight in the narthex of the church. Interesting, Bill gets up, laughter is the result….I get up, and a fight breaks out.
Bill’s next job was at the Travelers Aid Society, where he would interview homeless people to inter into a program offered by the city of Tucson. A male and female walked into his office one day, and Bill asked about what they can do. The girl stated that she is a dancer, and Bill says “Wow, that is so cool, I love the Arts, are you a ballerina, or jazz dancer? “ Her reply, I am a Stripper. This job was very stressful for Bill, as he was surrounded by government bureaucrats who were secular, and not very interested in doing something beneficial for society, and more interested in keeping the status quo. One day, Bill was stressed out, and he leaned up against a filing cabinet, and started to pray. His boss walked in, and was upset that bill was standing up, and asleep. Bill explained that he was praying, not sleeping. This made things worse.
Bill’s next job was at Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM) where he was development director. Again, he excelled at this job, raising money through direct mail marketing, and gaining publicity with the news outlets of Tucson. Bill got two meals a day, and this is a great big totally fantastic benefit to Bill. He was a hit with both the staff, and the clients at GRM. “Have you seen a good Movie lately,” What is your favorite team” At GRM, Bill, met Ann Adams, whom he would latter marry. Bill had a lifelong dating policy, that dates would be Dutch-treat. During our bible study, Bill announced that he and Ann would be going on their first date this weekend. I did my “Ron Thing” and voiced, “Watch out!!. Bill only dates if it is Dutch-treat. Bill saved the day and told Ann that he would pay for the date, his first,
Bill and Ann got married, and the wedding was over 500+ guests and in a very crowded, standing room only church. Bill and Ann spent the reception time held up at the end of the reception line that was wrapped around the church’s gym. I have never been to a weeding where the groom spoke and gave a sermon, and it was on the gospel, asking for many of the attendees to believe in Christ Jesus, as Lord and Savior.
Bill wanted to one day became a pastor of a church, his dream job. Bill also decided that he would join the local Mennonite church, because Bill is both a pacifist and Armenian, but he really loved his war movies.
Bill, like each and every one of us, was broken. Bill was Severely Mentally Ill, and over the past several years, it had a greater and greater impact on his daily life, and the world he lived in. Yet as his illness became more and more depilating, God continued to work in Bill’s life, and those around him. Bill is a very unique person, and God did great things with Bill. He sought out the lonely, the least of society, the people who others discount as worthless. In southern Arizona, and in America, and in France, Bill was always, above anything else deeply impacting others, and going about his father’s business. A bible study was started in 1988, and it continues to this day. A Mennonite Church in Tucson, became more related to God’s catholic Church, of Evangelical Christianity, and Biblically based. Silly Billy has had a awesome and gracious impact on Tucson. I have seen the evidence of his life, and the evidence that God has worked in and around Bill’s life, in totally miracles ways. God sees the reality of Bill’s life, and how he has been faithful, and exercised his gifts and abilities that were given by God, and by his family, and human ability. In my humble opinion, Bill R Kemmeries is a Hall of Fame Christian, and I got to be his friend. I got to see him struggle, and I got to see him make 40 foot shots, and slam dunk as a master, as well as block shots, and get rebounds. Bill was in the trenches thowin elbows, and scoring points. This is who my friend was to me.
Ron Wyman |
