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with
Rick
Final Voyage
with
Rick
By: Professional Fishing Guide and Instructor Rick Owen
Every now and then we all run
across that special person in our
lives that just seems to make a difference
in how we look at things. That
person becomes someone special to us
even to the point that they go beyond
friendship and just become a part of our
family. One of those people was not only
a friend to me, but also one of the guides
who helped me over several years operate
Rick’s Guide Service. Billy McLeroy, who
fished many guide trips for me and many
of our HomeTown Neighbors, lost his life
to an inoperable brain tumor right before
Thanksgiving. I finally found the courage
to write this article on a man who knew
how to really live life to its fullest. You
will see in this month’s article a picture
of Billy with a young man that fished with
us last year, right before his illness. It was
my great privilege to take part in Billy’s eulogy,
and it was easy to let his family and
friends know that Billy finished this life
with a “winning attitude” which set the
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382 N. Forest Ave. Hartwell, GA
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Dancing
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382 N. Forest Ave., Hartwell, GA • 11 North McIntosh St., Elberton, GA
ith
stage for his “heroic finish.”
If you had been on Main
Street in Anderson South
Carolina on November
14th, you would have seen
something that most people will never
see again. As we loaded Billy’s coffin into
the back of a brand new boat, he was carried
to his final resting place. On that day
Brian Kelly, who has helped me run Rick’s
Guide Service since January of 2006, was
also Billy’s best friend. He was there to
finish this last voyage with Billy. Now to
say that Brian and Billy were best friends is
an understatement. Brian took care of Billy
from the minute that Billy was diagnosed
in February with the brain tumor. He
was there right up until Billy took his last
breath on this side of eternity. The two
spent Billy’s final moments alone in the
hospital room with Brian by his bed side.
The day we took Billy to the grave side was
a bitter cold day, but Brian would not let
our friend take this Final Voyage alone.
Brian climbed into the boat
and wrapped an arm around
Billy’s coffin for the long
R
cold ride to the cemetery.
Every day Brian or I take
the time to remember some
of the fun times we both
spent fishing with our good
friend and fellow guide Billy
McLeroy. We both had a
nickname for him that always
brought a smile to Billy’s face. We
called him Big Fish McLeroy! Now that’s
something that every fisherman would like
to be called or remembered by. I’m writing
this article not only as a memorial to Billy,
but to also take a few minutes to reflect
on just what is important in life. It seems
like everyone has so much going on in their
lives that family and friends, as well as
fun times and creating memories, are old
school ideas. Let me help remind each of
you that the people that we love and those
that we consider special in our lives need
telling. The memories that we create today
are gifts that no one can ever take away
from us.
I have had a wonderful God given gift
to be able to get out on Lake Hartwell with
families and friends, and to take part in
Come Fish With Rick!
Rick’s
Striper/Hybrid
GUIDE SERVICE
Live and Artificial
Bait and Tackle
Furnished
Lake Hartwell S.C.
Day and Night Trips
Check out our
new website
www.ricksguideservice.com
H (864) 287-2861
C (864) 356-7271
22
March 2013
HomeTown Neighbors Magazine
Franklin, Hart, Stephens, Madison and Elbert Counties