Bill with his nieces, June 24th 1978. Tracy 12, Sheri 11, and Beth 5. Thanks to Bet Estrada of Cedar Rapids for the photos.

From Perry Welsh:

I have many good memories of Bill and I. We were inseparable for quite a few years. I never dreamt he could die, he always seemed indestructible to me, like a big grizzly bear. He could be gentle and he could be fierce. We had a lot of adventures together all over the country, probably enough to fill a book. We drank and laughed a lot, and when we got in barroom brawls together it was lucky for me that Bill always had my back. He was the toughest, fightenest, baddest, most lovable MF’er I ever knew and loved. Rest in peace my friend, and I'll see you on the other side for a cocktail or two.

This picture of Perry was taken in our flat at 1464 La Playa, San Francisco in 1974 during the time frame that he is referring to above. Since I had learned years before that I couldn't beat up a one armed old lady, I usually stayed home when these boys went out on the town! Terry

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Announcement of a Memorial Mass for Bill

I know that Bill liked Mysteries and Hardboiled Crime books just as I do. This is something I got from Ed Gorman a couple of years ago in another context, but I think Bill would have liked it's message. It's from the great John D. MacDonald, author of many of the 20th Century's classic crime novels and creator of the Travis McGee series of books.

From A Deadly Shade of Gold:
“It is so damn strange about the dead. Life is like a big ship, all lights and action and turmoil, chugging across a dark sea. You have to drop the dead ones over the side. An insignificant little splash, and the ship goes on. For them the ship stops at that instant. For me Sam was back there somewhere, further behind the ship every day. I could look back and think of all the others I knew, dropped all the way back to the horizon and beyond, and so much had changed since they were gone and they wouldn’t know the people aboard, know the rules of the deck games. The voyage saddens as you lose them. You wish they could see how things are. You know that inevitably they’ll drop you over the side, you and everyone you have loved and known, little consecutive splashes in the silent sea, while the ship maintains its unknown course. ”

This is Bill with Perry Welsh sometime in the mid-seventies when Bill and I had an apt. at the beach in S.F. These two desperados had worked together along with Al Pins and Sam Cavelli (?) as roadies for Elvin Bishop, and I can only imagine the havoc they wreaked in major cities across the country. In fact I don't even want to imagine it...
Anyway, Perry and Bill, probably after attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion, decided to cram themselves into one of those old Photo Booths that used to be in Woolworth's and places like that, in order to leave future generations a memento of their innocent countenances. We'll all be forever grateful...
Terry

This is the photo Bill used on his Seaman's Papers, issued in San Francisco on 12/29/1977. He and Tom Blymyer and I shared a nice house on Vicente Street then. It's 2 blocks from the Zoo and probably a little more than 1/4 mile from the ocean. It gets foggy there a lot, and very still, and at night we could hear the animals calling as if they were right next door. Lions and elephants and peacocks and chimps and baboons---all sorts of wild calls were part of living there, as well as fog horns on buoys offshore.
Bill had a nice room in the basement. It wasn't gloomy at all because the house was made like many in SF where the garage/basement is on the ground level and the house is the second story. He had a large window and his own door to the backyard and a half bath, stereo, TV and of course, tons of books. He was as happy there as at anytime that I knew him. Lots of times if we had people visiting he would go over to Leon's BBQ a couple of blocks away and buy chicken and ribs and links and beer for everybody. He took my son Ben to to the zoo a lot too. Ben was 10 and 11 at the time and idolized Bill. They were good buddies. We always considered Bill to be his uncle.
Terry
Thanks to Bill's brother Scott for sending this.

And Death Shall have No Dominion

By Dylan Thomas

And death shall have no dominion.
Dead mean naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
Under the windings of the sea
They lying long shall not die windily;
Twisting on racks when sinews give way,
Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan't crack;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
Through they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.

At the San Francisco Arts Fair in the early 70's.
Left to right--
Bill, Diana Lynn, Terry Butler, Marsha Correll

Aboard the Katie K in Alaska, circa 1976.
A legendary deck hand!
Thanks to Tom Blymyer of Mt. Vernon WA

Photographed at Tom Blymyer's wedding in 1986.
Left to right--
Ted Thorson, Bill, Tom Blymyer
Owen Blymyer, Trenton Blymyer

Bill's obituary as printed in the Cedar Rapids Gazette

WILLIAM JAMES (BILL) ELIAS

William James Elias, 63, of Richland, WA (formerly of Cedar Rapids), died unexpectedly on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. Bill was born on March 18, 1948 to Robert J. and Margaret P. (Shanahan) Elias in Cedar Rapids. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his three brothers, Clair L. (Linda) Scott of Tucson, AZ, Thomas P. (Sue) Elias of Cedar Rapids and Charles F. Elias of Lake Havasu City, AZ, in addition to an extended family of aunts, uncles, many cousins and nieces and close friend Terry Butler.

Bill had an independent and adventuresome spirit, traveling extensively throughout the United States, Alaska and Mexico. After graduation from LaSalle High School in Cedar Rapids in 1966, he traveled to California and worked as the Equipment Manager for the Elvin Bishop Group, a popular Blues & Rock band that toured constantly. His next adventure took him to Alaska and where he became a King Crab fisherman, working on various boats venturing out on the Bering Sea. Bill lived in Alaska for a number of years and traveled during the off-seasons, living for a time in Hawaii and Mexico City. He then moved to Washington and was employed by the US Postal Service. He eventually returned to Cedar Rapids, where he trained with IBEW Local 405 to become an electrician. Bill returned to Washington and worked as an electrician/instrument technician until his passing. He was a member of IBEW Local 112 in Kennewick, WA and a Charter Member of the Patrick J. Shanahan VFW Post 788 Men’s Auxiliary in Cedar Rapids.

Bill was a big man and he had an even bigger heart. He was always willing to help out his family and his friends in any way he could. Bill was a gentle counselor and a friend to all in need as well. He was loved by many and will be sorely missed.

Memorial services are pending. You are invited to post remembrances online at http://beatbillium.blogspot.com. Memorials may be sent to Clair Scott, 38231 S. Desert Bluff Drive, Tucson, AZ 85739

Oil Painting by Bill Elias. Early 70's San Francisco. 12" X 12"

Bill must be around 7 in this shot?

Thanks to Bill's niece Tracy for this photo

The Elias Brothers: Scott and Bill, Tom and Chuck
Thanks to Sheri Dvorak, Bill's niece, for this photo