A legend has died ....

singletravel

Active member
Oct 13, 2003
310
56
28
A legend has died -(

Anyone who have lived here on the North coast for years probably has run in Puerto Plata Billy now and then?? He lived in Puerto Plata for many years and was, well, beyond reproach, trustworthy, stubborn (oh my) an amazing cook and a great freind. I learned so much from him of DR life ?

You might know him for he used to the the old manager of Blackbeards and then the builder and manager of ?Field of Dreams .? Knowing him for maybe 20 years has been beyond a blast and will sorely missed. His broken old VW bus was also a legend.

So many great stories from him, and always the local bars would have a special table outside for him (he hated loud music as me) and my soda water always waiting. He knew everyone

Maybe one of my favorite stories (and there were many, many) was ho he come up from Puerto Plata for a night in sosua with newbies and have our table in Menegrue. But rather rent ST room for his friends he just offered the back of his VW van for quick entertainment purposes :). We?d just sit there laughing and the people walk by and gawked at the bouncing van (like those LA street gang cars).

Another time coming back late at night from Sosua and crane was broken down in the middle of the road (and of course no warning, this is the DR) and tore off the roof of the van on the way back to Puerto Plata, a stairy night to be sure. So they just picked up the roof from from the street and put in back in the van. Next day he went back to the local wielder and just torched it back on, but the van was never the same :)

There are so many stories and if you knew him Im sure yo have a few too. I will miss those barbecues and nights on the street in Puerto Plata. If it wasn?t for Alberto (the loan shark in Puerto Plata who lost everyones money) he would have died with a tidy sum, instead as a broken man (Im sure that had a lot to do with his body and mind deterioration ).

The two people I will never forget here, one Billy and also Patrick of Boca Chica ? I miss him also dearly, as his shaving cream parties and the use of his urnial (he owned a bar on the beach) are still legendary with me :)

Fell fee to post and Billy or Patick stories as you see fit ?.

Billy died in a hospital today of kidney failure in Canada today ?


It is with sorrow that your friend and my father William "Billy" Lane quietly passed away this afternoon, while in the Carpenter hospice in Burlington Ontario. He instructed me that everyone he would like me to inform he left in his contact list. He was very well taken care of in his last week by the wonderful staff here in the hospice and suffered very little, his passing today was very quick and seemingly painless. Thank everyone for the emails and phone calls in the last couple of weeks, it brightened his day every time someone contacted him to wish well.
Chris Lane
R.I.P. William Lane

April 12, 1942 - Sept 25,2015
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i used to go to have breakfast in the FoD before it became what it is now. met him several times. he was a fine man with positive outlook on life, full of laughter. RIP.
 

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
9,512
2,781
113
RIP Dom Billy... Seems you made a lot of Friends over the years...
Never met the man in person but exchanged Messages with him a couple times , and he was always offering to Help in any way he could with his wealth of Knowledge about the North Coast.
Sincere Condolences to his Family and Friends.
 

wishingiwasthere

New member
Nov 19, 2005
413
16
0
Billy's passion wagon

First time the wife and I stayed at FOD billy took us on a tour of Puerto plata - I was totally amazed how many people just shouted "biiiiillllllllyyyyy" as we were driving around.

For newbies he was great entertainment and a great chef and a few great evenings spent with him and wonda.

RIP billy.
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
Billy knew he was dying, and even went as far as to send a sort of living eulogy to people he knew. I was moved by this action and proud to have known him and considered a friend.
 

singletravel

Active member
Oct 13, 2003
310
56
28
From my mailbox


Chris,

I am grieved to receive your news about your dad’s passing . I had wondered why I had not head from Billy for some time.
I first met Billy when my wife and I took a vacation to Puerto Plata , and Billy took very good care of us for the week that we spent in the Dominican Republic.
Billy acted as our guide, and took us places that we could never have gone to; because Billy was essentially ‘one of the natives’ .
We had some great memories ……
When Billy learned that I had played polo in my younger days, he perked up, and said he would take us to his friend’s stables where he could fix a ride for me. ( My wife does not ride ) . The head stable boy saddled up a horse for me, and took me riding through the woods, and along a stream, until we came to some sugar cane fields , which were in rows, I broke into a canter, and soon we were galloping along as I followed the stable boy through the fields .. what a rush !!

The next day, Billy said he would take us up to a waterfall . When we got to the start of the trail up the mountain -side to the Fall, the whole trail was deep in mud, as it had rained torrentially the previous night. It would have been impossible for my wife to walk up through almost 6 inches of mud . Billy then arranged with a family whose house was at the beginning of the trail to have my wife wait in their house, with the house-wife, while the Man saddled up two horses, one for Billy, and one for me. The man’s two pre-teen sons would act as guides, leading the horses along the slippery trail up to the waterfall . The waterfall was worth the ride up.. and when the two boys stripped and jumped into the pool from a large rock, I too decided to jump in . There was no one else around except for us, so skinny- dipping was no big deal !!! That was an experience !

The next time I went to Puerto Plata was in the company of a very good friend of mine, and again we were very well taken care of by Billy.
Billy became a good friend , and we kept in touch through the years, until a while ago, when Billy became silent..

I am very touched that Billy included me in his list of friends to be informed of his passing.

In my book, Billy was a real friend.

May Billy Rest in Peace .

My Condolences to you, Chris

Peter
 

Drperson

Well-known member
Sep 19, 2008
1,061
290
83
I had the great priviledge of meeting and spending a few puerto plata nights in his company when i ran into him from time to time some 12 years or more ago.
Billy was part of the old guard there and I was able to experience puerto plata as it once was .Such fun. such great times.He gave some pretty good advise about "dating" dominican woman as well. He had a 10 rules for dating dominican woman .
It was written on a paper. I wish I could remember them, but they were good.
Should be a sticky kind of like the 10 Commandments.
Thanks Billy. You were a great spirit.


Sadly with his passing
and of others as well , a legacy is being lost.
I was so fortunate to meet him. He added a great spirit to POP
Very sad
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
Very nice guy, met him a few times.
He lived a full life, more than most could ever imagine or dream of :)

R.I.P.