Dear Members,
I received a phone call from Bill Coombs daughter this morning. Bill passed away very early this morning with LaTrece, and their daughter and new son-in-law by his side.
Bill was to be in the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival this weekend. Please join us in spirit as a flower is placed in remembrance of Bill at his booth space on Sunday.
Peace be with you, Bill.
Ardath
Dear NAIA Members,
I just wanted to say ?Thank You? for all the kind words which you sent to us during Bill?s illness and those very caring words of sympathy that you sent to me after his death on March 18, 2006. Words cannot express how much those thoughts and sentiments about him and about his work meant during this very awful time.
The last show we did was Reston in May 2005 – He continued to work some during his illness and also finished a large commissioned painting at the beginning of this year; there was still one left to do. The desire to create was great. We cut a hole to his studio and ran his oxygen to his painting area so that he could continue to work as long as possible.
He participated fully with the help of a wheelchair, oxygen and many varieties of pain medications in his daughters? wedding on February 25, 2006. It was a glorious occasion and one that I will never forget. He stood and danced with Victoria a few steps to his chosen song for this special moment – Louis Armstrong?s ? What A Wonderful World?.
It has been a very, very tough 11 months for me – during his illness and especially now after his death. We were married for 37+ years and as you know we also worked together – Bill as the artist and me doing the ?other than creative? stuff. He spent not one day in the hospital during his illness. We worked very hard trying to find a treatment that would work; but nothing did, so we worked very hard at our ?goodbyes? – but there is still a big hole in me that I can?t fill or mend – I think it is in my heart.
I have sold his work since 1979 and I will attempt to carry this on in some modified fashion. I have had most of the remaining works shot for reproductions. I hope to remain connected to you all in some respect – at least I will go to shows as a patron/viewer. I will be selling show stuff down the line, perhaps the van and/or our trailer, the etching press, etc. but right now I just have to find some peace somewhere, somehow. I am only managing to put one foot in front of the other right now.
Again, thanks and I will never forget doing shows and building some very strong relationships with many of you.
Happy Trails –
LaTrece
Memorials posted here on the NAIA site and Member Forum.