William James Halliday, River Advocate

Bill Halliday, ardent protector and champion of the Au Sable River, after a brief bout with lung cancer, died Saturday, October 18 in his home on the banks of the Mainstream. Bill is survived by his wife, Beverly Lowrie, three daughters, three stepdaughters, one step-son, sixteen grandchildren, and a sister, Jean Rodgers.

A memorial service was held at the McEvers Chapel of the Sorenson Funeral Home in Grayling on Monday, October 20.

Because of Bill's lifelong love of the Au Sable, his family has asked that any contributions in his memory be made to the Robert C. Franklin Memorial Fund, c/o George Mason Chapter of Trout Unlimited, P.O. Box 502, Grayling, MI 49738.

According to Dwight Hassan, Bill's long-time friend, the encounter with the cancer was sudden, shocking, and mercifully brief. But it was long enough for Bill to say good-by to Bev, his children and grandchildren, other family members, and many of his friends in Michigan.

Dwight had been fishing with Bill in Ontario in late September and it was shortly after that trip that Bill entered the hospital in Traverse City.

Dwight, who lives with his wife on the Mainstream, was introduced to the Au Sable by Bill more than thirty years ago. He reminded me that Bill with his parents, friends, and family had been coming to the Au Sable since he was a young boy.

Bill was born in Grosse Pointe seventy-one years ago. Though his father was a doctor Bill began his business career in marketing and sales, eventually finding his way to IBM in Cleveland where he met Dwight. After many years at IBM where among other things he was instrumental in bringing audio response systems to banking, he moved into banking and retired about seventeen years ago as Senior V.P. of the Broadview Savings and Loan in Cleveland.

Around this time he bought his home on the river; it was known to those of us who fished the Keystone-to-Thendara beat as "Hayes Lodge."

Bill lost his second wife, Jan, to cancer. I know that for some time after that Bill was devastated. But fortunately he met Bev and the last six years or so have been a joy for them even though he suffered through two knee replacements.

The years since he moved to the river have also been important for many conservation organizations. He joined our board about six years ago and has served with skill, imagination, and persuasion as President of the George Mason Chapter of Trout Unlimited, on the boards of the Au Sable River Property Owners Association and the George Griffith Foundation, and with many other ad hoc groups. His wise counsel, enthusiasm, and financial acumen have been in great demand.

Dwight has said that if there was any group engaged in the protection of the river, Bill was either directly involved or a strong supporter. Rusty Gates, President of The Anglers, observes that "Bill's presence will be greatly missed. Bill never hesitated to open his home for meetings. Countless winter meetings of one group or another were held at Bill's table. He and Bev must have gone though a ton of coffee. That was part of his commitment to the river."

Rusty also points out that Bill was very important not just for his many valuable attributes but because of the "interaction of the various groups in which he was involved." By bringing to the table knowledge of all the groups' activities, he helped avoid duplication of effort and passed on helpful insights on many subjects.

Some may not know about the "crick" named after Bill. There is a small creek that flows under Whirlpool Road just north of the Mainstream, parallel to the river, entering the river just downstream from Bill's property. When The Anglers were soliciting federal funds to replace the culvert on Whirlpool Road, the goal being to reduce erosion and silting, Rusty had to come up with a name for use in the funding application.

It was then named Halliday Creek.

I know how important Halliday Creek is to the upper Mainstream because of the number of spawning fish in the creek, both browns and brookies, in the fall. I think the name is very appropriate because as we mourn the loss of Bill we can obtain some solace with the thought of all these fish being nurtured by a creek bearing his name.

Another observation: Bill doted on his grandchildren. And you can rest assured there have been sixteen Au Sable fly fishers who were brought into the fold by Bill. (See the essay in this issue written by his grandson some weeks before his death.)

A final and personal note. I've known Bill ever since he first purchased Hayes Lodge. In the early years, not well, but well enough to know that he was in love with the river. In recent years I've had the pleasure of knowing him as a good friend, especially since he became a member of our board, and I've treasured that friendship.

All of us grieve Bill's passing: for Bev, the children, but especially for the grandchildren. We also grieve for ourselves because a warm light has been extinguished in our lives. In our grief we should remember the river and Bill's love for it. It seems appropriatte that in his memory we should vow to continue the fight to protect the Au Sable. We should try to live up to his standard. RWOL

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