In Memory of Billy Nowell
August 9, 2018
It was not until our Hiawassee Tech BSU gathering on April 11, 2019, that most of us learned of the death of Billy Nowell on August 9, 2018 from pancreatic cancer. We certainly had a lot of pleasant and unique memories of Billy, and were able to share those memories with each other in celebration of his life.
 |  Link to Wetumpka Herald article. Even before that gathering in Hiawassee, Billy Nowell was being remembered in the email exchange that took place in February, 2019, before the writers were aware that Billy had died: John Baxley, Feb 8: "I am hoping to see some of you in Hiawassee in a few weeks. Once in a while when I enjoy remembering all the fun we had roughly 60 years ago, I can hear some of you singing along with Stan Freburg: particularly the Rock Island Line and The Great Pretender. I bet Nowell, Redding, and Strange were the only people in the whole world who had the idea of doing that. Nancy says that it must have been a miracle of some sort (maybe God in a moment of glee) to get all of us together at the same time! John Lowe, Feb 8: "John, Thanks for the note. Suzanne and I won't make it this year, but will certainly be thinking of everyone as the group gathers. I was telling some friends just tonight about our gathering in Toccoa last March and how the years peeled away as we enjoyed one another and shared memories of 60 not so long ago years. John Bill Miller, Feb 8: Great to hear from the 2 John's, among my very closest friends in those days. I too won't make it this year, but look forward to seeing you in the next few years. All the best to the group, Bill Rogers Redding: "John, Thanks for the note. I'm amazed that you remember Stan Freberg. When Leland and I started doing that silliness, we never imagined that anybody else would think it was funny! Sorry I can't make it to Hiawassee this time. Give my regards to everyone. Rog Ron Jones: "Linda and I look forward to seeing you folks and reminiscing about the "good old days." If we want to reconstruct the olden days, there needs to be a ping-pong table and a badminton net setup in April with maybe EMS on stand bye! Ron John Lowe: "Ah, the ping pong table! We must have sharpened our skills in the only ping pong room in the world that was only a foot or so in each direction larger than the table. Wonderful memories! John John Baxley: "What I remember vividly about that ping pong room was that we sweated a great deal there and the room had an odor which almost knocked us out. I remember every square foot of that building. " |
Even though the following emails are dated in April of 2019, more than six months from this time, it seems appropriate to record some of the responses to the news of Billy's passing.
John Baxley, April 13,2019: "Frank, Thanks from all of us for arranging for our reunion the last few days. As long as we live we will be grateful to you for getting us together over and over as the years have passed. I think it would be good if you sent to everyone on your mailing list the announcement of Bill Nowell's death last August. You could include the link https://www.thewetumpkaherald.com/2018/08/15/what-a-legacy-depot-players-mourn-death-of-actor/ to the article where Ron Jones found the information. Promise you won't die while we all live so we can respond to all your reunion plans." John
George Kreider" "So sorry to hear about Billy Nowell's passing. He always had a flair for the dramatic, and put on skits fo time to time, which I usually got drug into. He had a wide range of interests, and introduced me to Immanual Velikovsky."
Tex Boyd Moore: "Billy was an amazing, talented man. We were classmates - I took Analysis (math course using the text: Tom Apostal's Mathematical Analysis, taught by Dr. Kashrael(?) - John Baxley always talked about that professor) with Billy. I barely passed with a D. Billy took notes in a 3x5 spiral pocket notebook and aced the class. "
"You might not know but Billy even wrote a symphony for orchestra which he sent to me in pdf form, I think. So I can make that available for any that would like a copy." Boyd
John Baxley: "I had a long phone conversation with the pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian church in Montgomery, who has been Bill Nowell's pastor for a number of years. She was with Bill a large part of the last 24 hours of his life last August as he died from pancreatic cancer. Bill knew her (her name is Elizabeth O'Neill) very well and she meant a lot to him these last few years." "As a result of this conversation, she sent me several attachments, including her eulogy at his funeral, as well as a tribute of a fraternity brother. Apparently Bill became a part of this fraternity while on the faculty. I suppose he was some sort of faculty adviser. I am attaching these documents. Look at the email list above and if I have overlooked someone who might be interested, please forward this email on. The first document below requires a special app to open, but the others are easily opened." "If you read the introduction to Nowell's memoirs (A Glimpse of the Tie) , the introduction he wrote in 2007 for R.B Coulter's "second printing," you know that Bill felt quite indebted to this Presbyterian Church. Elizabeth talked to me about how important Bill was to he congregation, as well as to the larger community. We who knew him and loved him at Ga Tech only got to see him occasionally these last 20 years or so while the folks in that church saw a lot more of him. Of course, we all saw, in most important ways, the same Bill Nowell we had known 60 years ago. It is quite interesting to read these reflections on who and what Bill was in these mature years." "I am glad I could track down this material. My best to you all," John
The Homily by Pastor Elizabeth O'Neill:
As I was reviewing the scripture texts that were selected for this service, it struck me that there was a recurring image of tables and feasting and food running through the texts.. the prophet Isaiah refers to a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines.. And then our gospel text tells the story of an encounter with Jesus along the Emmaus Road, whom the disciples come to recognize in the breaking of the bread.. What those images point us toward, and our supporting scripture readings texts affirm, is the image of a Creator God who shaped and formed all things with a vision of good will and good intent; a God who would have us not only share God's own vision of shalom, but participate in that vision and aim every day of our lives toward that goal of the fullness of life. According to Walter Brueggemann, "Shalom is the substance of the biblical vision of one community embracing all creation. It refers to all those resources and factors which make communal harmony joyous and effective.. The origin and the destiny of God's people is to be on the road of shalom, which is to live out of joyous memories and toward greater anticipation." Well. I think that pretty much reflects the substance of Bill Nowell's life. At least, the Bill I knew-who was an avid reader of all things Walter Brueggemann and a life-long student of our sacred scriptures.
If you are sitting here today, you know Bill never engaged much of anything that he was interested in casually.. Bill Nowell was a treasure; an extraordinary person, probably as complex an individual as any really, seriously, challenging mathematical equation. Mention Bill's name and people think almost automatically, the math professor, the math genius, the math geek. But Bill also loved astronomy and all things related to the skies-the stars and planets, meteor showers, the eclipse of the sun or the moon.. And he loved good literature. He delighted in the Harry Potter series and celebrated the purchase of those books to share with his nephew. He loved all things theatrical and was known for his various roles in local theatre. He loved good music and took up arranging and composing pieces of music. He loved teaching and storytelling and he loved to talk.. that man could just about talk a person's ear off.. He loved his family; he loved his dog.. He loved Blue Bell ice cream. He loved his church. And we loved him. I know that you are sitting here because of your love and respect for this man. A few of his brothers and friends have asked to share some thoughts and remembrances. So I am going to sit down now and turn you loose to talk...
Brothers and friends
Well. As I said, Bill was a treasure. But we do have this treasure in clay jars.. That was the text that went through my mind when I stood with Bill in his dying. So now here we are. And there is a book unread, a theological work unfinished, a score of music waiting completion. There is a math problem without resolution and a star unseen, a planet yet to be discovered.. There is as student without a teacher now, as story untold (perhaps there are some better left untold.. ). There is a role in a play in need of an actor. There is a hymn unsung. Because we do have this treasure in clay jars..
Bill Nowell was a treasure. He was brilliant and talented. But he was more than his brilliant mind and talented spirit; he was more than the work he left unfinished. Bill was a wonderful human being-he was a kind and compassionate, generous soul who embraced God's vision of shalom and tried to live that out by living God's mandate-to seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly.
| To Charlotte for the NCCA |
2018