{"id":1429,"date":"2025-09-14T15:39:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T23:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/?p=1429"},"modified":"2026-06-24T17:04:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:04:19","slug":"in-memory-of-bill-fortney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/?p=1429","title":{"rendered":"In Memory of Bill Fortney"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I have many wonderful thoughts about Bill while reflecting on so many years of friendship, and I’d like to share them here:<\/span><\/p>\n

Bill and I first met at Covina Sunrise Rotary in the fall of 1984 where he was charter member and I was a ‘new boy’.\u00a0 We seemed to connect right outta the gate not knowing much about each other, but recognizing there was something there. \u00a0Bill is somewhat of an enigmatic character which makes him puzzling. \u00a0I think he thought the same of me. \u00a0Our backgrounds are dramatically different …he an ol’ workin’ cowboy from San Bernardino and me a Philly boy with an ethnic background unfamiliar to him (Jewish mother and Italian father).\u00a0 He would look at me from head to toe and shake his head reflecting, ‘I don’t know what to think about this guy.’\u00a0 Kinda like a dog looking at a cat for the first time.\u00a0 However, we got to know each other quite well over a fairly short period of time, and our respect and affection grew.\u00a0 There was a seminal event that captured a peek into the real Bill, and that was the passing of our Rotary brother, Tex Everson back in ’87.\u00a0 They were really close buds and this event was significant in many ways.\u00a0 It brought our community of CSR much closer …we all mourned Tex’s passing.\u00a0 This was not a planned event but rather an impromptu and organic invitation for all to meet at the conclusion of his memorial service. \u00a0Grieving is difficult, and this kind gesture was very comforting to all of us.\u00a0 I’ve seen the Ol’ Cowboy cry only once…he took it hard.\u00a0 That told me a lot about what was inside this edgy yet gentle soul. \u00a0The event morphed into a party and resulted in a closeness that endured for many years. \u00a0Our Band of Brothers was born and Bill was integral part of that creation\u2026coulda been the poster boy for our club.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"CSR<\/a>

Seven Spanish Angels – 1990<\/p><\/div>\n

When you go backpacking with a bunch guys, you learn a lot about each other.\u00a0 I provided entertainment for our group having been a ‘street urchin.’\u00a0 On my first trip, I asked, “how do you know we are actually on a trail?”\u00a0 That was the beginning of transforming a rookie into a ‘sorta backpacker.’\u00a0 Bill was helpful to a degree, but found great humor in my lack of experience.\u00a0 He sat on a rock just to watch me set up my tent for amusement but then offer instructions after an hour of frustration.\u00a0 On our first of many trips to Wyoming, Bill wanted to stop at a bait shop for live worms prior to getting to our campsite.\u00a0 Bill was a fisherman and he and I were partnering on the separate rocks about 60 or so yards from each other.\u00a0 I baited my hook with one of these worms that looked like small snakes and casted into the lake.\u00a0 The line came back and hooked me in the chin.\u00a0 That ******* worm (again, small snake) was doing all it could to climb into mouth and I could not get that hook free.\u00a0 I had two choices:\u00a0 yank the hook form my chin and bleed to death or call Bill for help.\u00a0 I debated.\u00a0 The reason for debate: he had just insulted my boots by calling them ‘melon farmer boots.’ What was he gonna do and say once he saw my predicament?\u00a0 I yielded.\u00a0 I yelled for Bill to come over ’cause I needed the help.\u00a0 He casually approached not yet knowing the issue.\u00a0 Once he saw the happening, he wanted to laugh so hard but was restrained until the situation was resolved.\u00a0 He may still be laughing.<\/span><\/p>\n

On another Wyoming trip, we decided to go on horseback.\u00a0 I had been on a horse once in my life when I was about five and a guy came around the neighborhood in So Philly with pony rides for kids.\u00a0 Bill being a former cowboy was all too familiar with horses.\u00a0 I was not.\u00a0 My horse was not properly cinched and I enjoyed an up-close and personal look at the underside of a horse.\u00a0 Bill and the boys (especially Bull Hubbert and Jon Pomeroy) had a good laugh.\u00a0 Dinner that night was equally enjoyable at my expense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, on yet another Wyoming trip Bill and I had a problem.\u00a0 Actually, Bill had a problem with me.\u00a0 We luckily caught some pretty nice cutthroat trout and I was on fish cleaning patrol whereupon Bill offered me his knife.\u00a0 When my job concluded, I jammed his knife into a log and Bill went “ape****”.\u00a0 He screamed at me with ,”how could you do that my knife?\u00a0 I’ve had this knife since childhood and you just ruined my blade.”\u00a0 I offered a reason for my action and responded with, “in every cowboy movie I have ever seen, there was always somebody who did that.”\u00a0 I apologized profusely and Bill received the apology but did not indicate acceptance of such.\u00a0 He was quiet at dinner.\u00a0 Everyone knew about the dust up.\u00a0 I began to tell a story of my boy scout tenure (brief) where we had to pass a skill to advance to 1st class called ‘Knife and Ax’.\u00a0 The scoutmaster asked me several questions straight out of the manual and I answered them correctly.\u00a0 He then said asked, “how do you throw a knife into a tree?”\u00a0 I attempted to throw the knife and it hit the tree with a thud and fell to the ground.\u00a0 He said, “you fail.”\u00a0 I practiced throwing knives into trees ad-nauseum and I could stick a knife into a tree right handed, left handed, behind my back and blindfolded.\u00a0 I was ready for retesting but the scout master asked me how to throw an ax into a tree.\u00a0 I wasn’t ready for that and I failed to stick that ax.\u00a0 I practiced throwing axes and I could stick an ax into a tree at a 3:00 AM wake up call without a warm up.\u00a0 I was ready for retesting and I could easily handle any assignment thrown my way.\u00a0 The scout master then asked me to throw a knife into a tree and with a degree of confidence I said, “which hand?”\u00a0 I stuck that knife into the tree and it took three guys to get it out.\u00a0 The scoutmaster said, “you fail; never throw a knife or ax into anything that is alive.”\u00a0 \u00a0 The guys howled and Bill gave a polite grin…he was still not amused about the condition of his knife.\u00a0 Fast forward…upon coming out of the mountains we stayed in a little burg named DuBoise where they were having a mountain man rendezvous with black powder rifle & pistol contests, wrestling, hawk & ax throw, merchandise for sale and a lotta fire water. Over loudspeakers they announced for all contestants for ‘knife & ax\u201d to report to the venue.\u00a0 I then heard, “Bucky Goldstein\u201d please report to the knife & ax venue.”\u00a0 I knew that was me.\u00a0 I knew because there are probably three Jews who live in Wyoming and two were in synagogue…it was Saturday.\u00a0 I’m not sure if it was Bill, Bull or Pomeroy who did that, but I couldn’t not go after telling that story. \u00a0 \u201cBucky\u201d was called and stuck that knife in the dead center of that target and no one in that crowd was more surprised than me.\u00a0 A raucous cheer came from the spectators and that Ol’ Cowboy’s cheer was the loudest and he couldn’t wait to congratulate me with a big ass smile, and a very hearty handshake.\u00a0 The happiest moment for me was the fact that Bill and I were good, and, I couldn’t buy a drink throughout the remainder of that trip. Not sure of his knife\u2019s fate. See my article The Legend of Bucky Goldstein for more details.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think a lot about Bill, especially during these most recent years where he was infirmed.\u00a0 I once visited with some staff explaining in some detail who this man is.\u00a0 The attendants knew Bill well and held him in high regard. \u00a0He was respected, admired and loved. \u00a0Here was a guy who said, “If you ask me to speak publicly at Rotary, I’ll quit the club.”\u00a0 Once he got hold of a mike, you couldn’t tear it away.\u00a0 Like many of us, he too was a walking paradox. \u00a0Bill was\u00a0an\u00a0integral part of our members who became the cement of our very close group of buds\u2026Bill was the poster boy.\u00a0 We were a group of oddballs who found each other and that was our magic.<\/span><\/p>\n

I came upon a country western song written and sung by Bill Joe Shaver.\u00a0 It is titled, “Ol’ Chunk Of Coal.”\u00a0 I sang it in front of Bill (and others) some years ago and he loved it.\u00a0 He said…\u201dthat’s me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m Just an old chunk of coal<\/span>
\nBut I’m gonna be diamond someday.<\/span>
\nI’m gonna grow and glow ’til I’m so blue perfect.<\/span>
\nI’m gonna put a smile on everybody’s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m gonna kneel and pray everyday,<\/span>
\nLest I should become vain along the way.<\/span>
\nI’m just an ol’ chunk of coal, now Lord,<\/span>
\nBut I’m gonna be a diamond someday.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m gonna learn the right words to talk.<\/span>
\nI’m gonna search and find a better way to walk.<\/span>
\nI’m gonna spit and polish my old rough-edged self,<\/span>
\n‘Till I get rid of every single flaw.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well I’m gonna be the world’s best friend.<\/span>
\nI’m gonna go ’round shakin’ everybody’s hand, yeah.<\/span>
\nI’m just an old chunk of coal, now Lord,<\/span>
\nBut I’m gonna be a diamond someday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yeah, I’m gonna be the cotton-pickin’ rage of the age.<\/span>
\nI’m gonna be a diamond some day.<\/span><\/p>\n

And a diamond he was.\u00a0 Rest In Peace Ol’ Cowboy
\n<\/span>…your buddy misses you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have many wonderful thoughts about Bill while reflecting on so many years of friendship, and I’d like to share them here: Bill and I first met at Covina Sunrise Rotary in the fall of 1984 where he was charter … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-snippetz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1429"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1494,"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429\/revisions\/1494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfieland.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}