Tribute by Bill Cozine

MEMORIES OF BILL DOWLING

I was only 14 when Bill married my sister Peggy. At the wedding reception, I pulled Bill aside and said to him, “You better take good care of my sister.” This former football player and submariner smiled at me and said, “That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about, Billy.” If I must say so, Peggy had excellent taste because Bill was more like a big brother to me than a brother-in-law. He took me under his wing and taught me how to bowl, golf and let me be a “gofer” during his many woodworking projects. Always with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, Bill was always patient and calm even under stressful circumstances.

As an operating engineer, one story comes to mind when Bill was a roller operator for Lizza and Sons. Somehow, coming off the truck, his roller slipped off the truck ramp and fell on its side beside the truck transport. The asphalt crew, asphalt trucks, and spreader all were lined up and couldn’t work until a crane arrived to lift the roller back to an upright position. Since they were working next to a municipal golf course, Bill got out his golf clubs from the trunk of his car and proceeded to chip a few balls on to the ninth green. Suddenly, a Cadillac pulled to an abrupt stop in a cloud of dust and Al Lizza, one of the owners, jumped out yelling,” Who’s responsible for this mess and where’s my operator?” The crew pointed to the golf course where Bill was practicing some putts. Lizza was enraged and rushed up to Bill wanting to know what he was doing. Bill calmly answered, “Since I can’t operate my roller while it’s laying on it’s side, I’m practicing my putts.” Off came Al Lizza’s hat which he proceeded to stomp flat. He reached into his pocket and threw a roll of bills into the air, scattering them over the work site. “You taka my time, you taka my money. What I need around here is less horsa play and more horsa power!”, he yelled as he drove off the scene. Everyone laughed when he was gone and started stuffing the scattered money in their pockets. Bill asked, “Who’s going for coffee and donuts?”

Once, while Bill was sleeping, I jump-wired his car and took it to Jones Beach for some night surf casting and didn’t get back in time for him to go to work. He wanted to know how many fish I caught and as an afterthought, he said, “I’d appreciate it next time if you’d at least ask me if you can use my car.” What a saint he was!

Another time, Bill and his friends had put a double dormer on his home in Seaford and was using his carpenter skills to make a large room to accommodate his growing sons. To surprise him, I came over one time when Bill wasn’t home and used the large quantity of 4’ x 8’ drywall sheets that he had piled in the large room and proceeded to use my carpenter skills, which Bill had taught me (measure twice and cut once) to fit them on the lower walls. After careflully fitting them around the many windows and nailing them firmly, I stepped back to admire my handiwork. When Bill came home I was just finishing the job when he came upstairs. He looked at the room in amazement and then smiled and said to me,” You did a beautiful job, Billy. I couldn’t have fitted them around the windows any better, but the drywall sheets were going to be used on the ceiling and I planned to do the walls in knotty pine!” I couldn’t believe how calm he remained after the blunder I had made which caused extra work and waste, but that was Bill Dowling; a rock in the time of storm!

When summer came, I looked forward to windless nights because Bill would take me out ‘jacking’ along the flats and marshland of the Great South Bay. A Coleman lantern was set up on the bow of the boat arid the boat was poled along with a 10’ long jacking spear. Fluke would come onto the mud flats in the shallow water and you could spot them buried in the mud by the shape of their bodies. One night we got more than seventy fluke and lots of swimming eels along the marsh banks. Bill was the best man with a spear of any one else I know. It was always a pleasure to learn from him.

As our children grew up. we enjoyed visiting with Peggy and Bill, having cook outs and times on the beach with our families. Bill loved children and always had a smile on his face and a good joke to share with everyone. My girls will never forget the summer stay in July when Bill took them out on his cabin cruiser for their first experience at “snapper” fishing. Bill and I kept busy all day pulling the fighting baby bluefish off their lines and re-baiting their hooks. He never stopped laughing at their excitement and pleasure while they took turns at the wheel of his boat.

Being with Bill was always enjoyable because of his personality; always smiling, always soft-spoken and never angry. We spent many nights together playing pinocle with Jimmy Burns and Ed Galke where they taught me the hard way how costly it was to lose a bid in spades.

Bill was generous to a fault. If he had it and you needed it, it was yours. When I was discharged from the Air Force, Bill got me a job with a construction company and brought my family to New York to live in his home until we could get on our feet and have a place of our own.

During the past few years, distance separating us, whenever we talked on the phone, Bill was always optimistic and upbeat, even when he was hooked up to an oxygen tank and talking in a low whisper. You’ve got to admire his courage.

Bill’s example to his family, friends, and co-workers will not be forgotten by anyone who had the privilege of knowing this quiet, gentle man.