Mr. William I. "Bill" Kettlewell

I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with Bill. I worked with him on a few of his projects around his Williamsburg property. I remember him tell me how he got started in business, telling me about when he sold his landfill, many of the demolition jobs he did. Had a great dry sense of humor....didn't know if I was getting my leg pulled half the time or not. I also remember riding around with him on his property with his loaded shotgun next to him shooting out the window. He as a great guy. I miss him.

My fondest memory was this past Thanksgiving when I got to spend the holiday with my 2nd family…the Hegers and Bill. We both loved M&Ms so after dinner, I got him a little bowl of M&Ms and myself a little bowl. He could have cared less about his M&Ms, he only wanted mine! It always puts a smile on my face remembering that.
Big hugs,
Amie Elve :)

Dear Gayle, Robin, Amy, Todd, Dustin and Guy,

Just a note to tell you what you already know. We are so saddened by Bill's passing. We have always been touched by your sincere friendship and enjoyed our times together, albeit too few. Bill and I had some great hunting trips and he was such good company. He was always so good natured, just one of the guys. We will miss him, but we must continue to celebrate who he was.

Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Kindest regards,
Kit Foster and Colleen Johnson

Kim Krueger

Amy I remember you, your dad and my dad, came up to our house on the lake in that off shore boat. And you and I in the back of the boat. As our dad's laughed going, who knows how fast, as our cheeks flapped in the wind and we couldn't turn our heads. A day I seem to never forget. Oh my, my dad loved your dad like a brother. Now they can have fun together again. Love you Amy.

Sorry to hear of Bill's passing. He was a great guy to work for, he and his family was very kind to me. Sorry for your loss, he will be missed by many. Paul Maro

Bill and I worked on the Hill farm at the same time. I had the milking chores while Bob was recovering from hernia surgery. Although Bill was three years older than me sometimes he would let me tag along when he went cruising, I loved that 55 Chevy. I really felt like someone because I was riding with him and his friends. The last time I saw Bill was at Bush"s restaurant in Lexington. He reminded me of the time that he gave me a dollar to drink a glass of Listerine, he still laughed about it. We were both blessed to know Lillian and what a fun time we had.
May God Bless You in your sorrow.
Ralph McCallum

My Memories of Bill are from my visits to Michigan and Black Diamond. Bill always had fun teasing me! First with my Name, he thought that was so funny!! Robin will know what I mean. Then he would kid around naming off Robins ex boyfriends saying I should go out with them!! On a Visit to Black Diamond, he took me out in the golf cart, to have a talk
and got us lost. We did find our way back home eventually!! Enjoyed being around him and will miss him on my visits.. The Kettlewell's are family to me, so I really feel this loss!!

When I first heard of Bill it was from an article on the paper about "The House that Bill Built." It wasn't unlit years later that he became a customer and a friend. I will miss your quick wit, easy manner, genuine kindness and most of all your friendship. You built a beautiful legacy that none of us will forget. Rest easy my friend.
Kim

In the fall of 1981 Ducks Unlimited asked me to go to the Kettlewell Landfill office to pick up a donation for our annual fundraiser. I was told to ask for Bill. When I arrived I was directed to a large building where I found several Kettlewell workers wrenching on all sorts of heavy equipment getting ready for the next day's work.
First guy I came to rolled out from under a huge truck, I asked him if he was Bill Kettlewell. "No" he pointed over there. Next guy same greeting "No", he pointed over there. About the 5th guy I kick in the leg, he rolls out from under his truck. I went thru my routine again, and again "NO" and another point over there. I'm now unhappy and said to the guy " Please, can't someone help me out, I'm just here to pick up something for D.U."
He rolls back out from under the truck, greasy, dirty after an obvious long day and said "Yea, I'm Bill", he pointed over there where the donation was waiting for me. "DANG, those boy's were sure talkative" !!
The following fall I was rounding up a bunch of guy's for our annual Pellee Island Pheasant Hunt. Someone mentioned Bill, I'm thinking, good guy, kinda quiet and rumored to have a darn good dog by the name of Bonner and a buddy named Jeff that knew how to shoot a shotgun. Off to Pellee with the Dirty Dozen for two days of busten those roosters where I very quickly found out that those two guy's could hunt and that dog Bonner "brains of the threesome" was top shelf. What a blast !!!
Thru-out the next year, a few casual phone calls, D.U. dinner again and back to Pellee, this time I was without my best buddy ever "Beau" lost him after 13 years of marriage. Some called him the best black lab they ever saw in the field or marsh. I just called him my best buddy and the brains of my twosome.
After the mornings hunt, heart broken without Beau at my side, Bill saw my hurt, took me aside and said, " after lunch I would like just you, Bonner & I to go get some birds" ?
Up to that moment I just knew Bill as a quiet fellow hunter that was an amazing success back home. I'll never forget that wonderful afternoon with Bill & Bonner. I got the feeling he might be a pretty good friend somewhere in the future !
I will leave out the next thousand pages of stories, fun, adventure and practical jokes and fast forward to October, 2009. Working in my office mid afternoon on that beautiful fall day I get an emergency call from Bill. "Steve, hurry up, meet me at the office, hurry !!!
I drop what I'm doing, fly up 24th to the office where Bill is waiting for me in his pick-up. GET IN QUICK ! In less than a minute we round a mountain of topsoil behind Wal-Mart going what felt like 80 miles an hour. Windows down, Bill shoves a loaded Browning in my lap, he has his out the window as we PASS a flock of about 30 of the most amazed geese trying desperately to get away from this wild man. I was laughing so hard I could not find the trigger, Bill was blasting away yelling at me to do the same, each and everyone of those geese spent a wonderful winter in the south.
Love ya buddy. You will be with me everyday I take a breath. Meet you in the goose blind.

Stevie D.

Gayle, Robin, Amy, Todd, Guy and Dustin, Words can't express the sadness we feel for your loss. We feel so blessed that we could call Bill our very special friend. We're going to miss the many times sitting on our front porch talking about everything from pie and ice cream to traveling and family. He always had us in stitches, telling us one crazy story after another. Jumping in the car and heading to Lakeport for ice cream cones, saying he was so full, but eating the whole thing anyway. He was even kind enough to always say he liked my cooking, boy that really takes a gentleman!!!!! We've saved a couple of funny phone messages he left at the house, how nice to have!!! Such a soft spoken, kind, humorous, very special man. Our deepest sympathy and prayers.
Steve & Jacki

Robin and Family, Very sorry to learn of Bill's passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you and the family. I'll remember to say a short prayer in Bill's memory whenever I'm on the Audubon Trail. Tim Koerber

Hey dad...your so missed but I know your in a better place. I appreciate all you have done for me, all you have taught me, and most of all, the fun crazy times - we shared enough to create awesome memories to carry me through my lifetime. I love you...see ya later. Rob