Comments on: Legendary Bill Stockdale Dies

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:51:57 +0000

Sorry to hear he passed. I’ve been trying for ages to locate a copy of his film “Back Roads and Friendly People”, documenting the cross-country trip his family took in a VW bus. Perhaps his family has a copy? There is definitely still an audience that would love to see it.

By: Ed Fitchett

Ed Fitchett — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:45:33 +0000

Our audiences in Poughkeepsie, NY (Vassar Brothers Institute) loved Bill’s genial sense of humor. One of his comments I enjoyed was when he was showing Stonehenge at the time of the equinox and the sun was just peeping over the horizon. Bill quipped that “thousands of pilgrims come here from all over England – just to set their watches!” As projectionist I got to know him and Connie real well as we featured nearly all of his films. It’s a friendship I cherish!
Ed Fitchett

By: Ed Fitchett

Ed Fitchett — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:13:13 +0000

Our audiences in Poughkeepsie, NY (Vassar Brothers Istitute) loved Bill’s genial sense-of humor. One of his comments that I enjoyed so much was his showing of Stonehenge at the equinox when the sun just peeped over the horizon. He said “pilgrims come here from all over England – just to set their watches!” Bill was a “regular” on our series – I think we ran all of his films. As projectionist I got to know him and Connie real well and I’m so happy for the friendship.

By: Ralph Franklin

Ralph Franklin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:09:14 +0000

It happened in Grand Rapids, 2007 at the TRACS convention dinner. About six of us were seated at one of those large round table waiting for the chicken to arrive. Tom Sterling started taking about Bill, “Do you remember when Bill did…” and he retold one of those great stories of Bill and a certain situation that only Bill could conceive. I started laughing, laughing hard as I remembered the story. Not to be topped I told another Stockdale tale and soon the smiles were turning to laughter as those who had not met Bill or seen his films were now visualizing what we old timers will never forget. It wasn’t long before our whole table was laughing as story after story was told. We were laughing so hard tears were running down the cheeks of all of us. I’m sure the rest of the TRACS guests thought we had lost it, but we didn’t care. As conference after conferences, 36 of them over the past 37 years, fade in my memory the guys at Grand Rapids dinner table that relived the Stockdale stories will remain vivid. Thanks Bill for bringing such great off the wall stories, we love you we will miss you.
ralph

By: Steve Sharp

Steve Sharp — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:05:41 +0000

It’s always a shame to lose a free spirit like Bill. I only got to see him once, but I’ll never forget it! He will be missed.