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Very Sad News:

Every so often the executives of The Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club will pose a question asking for your thoughts. Or maybe you have something that you would like to share with us. Step up on the soap box here.

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Al Benton
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Very Sad News:

Post by Al Benton » Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:36 am

Our wonderful friend and "Mangling" Editor of The Brass Bell Bill (Merl W,) Baldwin, passed away this morning. Bill's immeasurable passion for this Club and especially for The Brass Bell was and will be unsurpassed. He will be desperately missed by all of us who knew him, by our entire membership, and by all in this avocation. Family plans have not yet been announced. Information will be posted as it is received.
Al
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Stovebolt
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by Stovebolt » Wed Oct 14, 2015 12:47 pm

I am truly saddened by this news.

I wanted to thank him for my article in the last Brass Bell. I sent off a couple emails to thank him, and never got a response. It was then I found out he wasn't feeling good. I hoped he'd get better and we would talk again. Sadly this isn't going to happen.

I only got to deal with him once, but it was fun, firing ideas back n forth. I found him to nice and genuine.

My thoughts go out to all of you that knew him, in the club and out. Also to his family. What a great loss to our hobby.

R.I.P. Bill, and thanks for using my tattoo picture when you said you wouldn't.

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JimF
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by JimF » Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:32 pm

On this sad day I want to share a little more information about our good friend and outstanding editor of our Brass Bell.

What many people don't know is that Bill was heavily involved with the early NASA space programs in the first part of the 1960's. His duties included a lot of writing and computer programming. That interest led him into writing science fiction and he published at least 10 novels in this genre and was still at work on the next one.

He was the owner of several classic boats and enjoyed his life in the summer at Lake Chautauqua in upper New York state where he was a Founding Trustee of the Lawson Boating Heritage Center on that lake. Also on that lake he was a Director of the ACBS Chautauqua Lake Twin-Tier Chapter as well as a Founding President Emeritus of the RDC-Triangle ACBS Chapter. He also was a past President of the Dallas based Wooden Boat Association and a Director of the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club.

Please look at his own biography at billbaldwin.us
1930 Chris-Craft Model 100 20' "MOXIE"
1940 Chris-Craft Red and White 25' "Old Paint"
1946 Chris-Craft Sportsman 25' "CinCity"

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mfine
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by mfine » Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:00 pm

Very sad news and a huge loss for this club and our hobby. :-(

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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by Wilson Wright » Wed Oct 14, 2015 7:58 pm

Bill Baldwin was an exceptionally talented individual. As Jim pointed out he was an accomplished science fiction writer but very modest, referring to his days with Xerox by saying, "I was just a simple programer." Although he lived in Dallas I think Lake Chatauqua was really home to him. As he told it his father must have been part of the "Institution" there and Bill spent early summers there resulting in his later buying a summer home at the lake.. As told to me today by his wife Pat, it is his wish to have his ashes spread upon the lake. It is no secret that Bill Baldwin pulled The Brass Bell out of the ashes and kept it going for the past several years. While no one is absolutely indispensable, I'd say without him the magazine's immediate future is in grave doubt. Bill was an avid classic boater and a true friend. We will long remember him and dearly miss him.

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Jim Godlewski
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by Jim Godlewski » Thu Oct 15, 2015 10:17 am

Very sad to hear about Bill. My condolences go out to Bills family.
R.I.P. Bill. Thanks for everything.

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Doug P
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by Doug P » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:59 am

Bill was the closest contact many of us had with the hobby. He was far from a "mangling editor"
Bill, Rest in Peace

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JimF
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by JimF » Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:32 pm

While of course Bill's passing leaves a huge space in our club I must take issue with Wilson's comment about "grave doubts " as to the future of the Brass Bell. We have been fortunate to have the best professional partners any one could ask for in Catalyst Communication and Digital 3 printing. These people have been with us for years and are not going anywhere. We have editors that have also been with us for years and they are also staying with us. Several weeks ago Bill contacted me, knowing he has sick and asked me to,be temporary managing editor in his absence. Of course I agreed because you do not argue with Bill. Since that time I have been fully involved with bringing myself up to,speed,with the rest of the team and the progress is good.

Let me assure all of you that we can and will proceed to produce the kind of magazine that you expect and deserve. The content is set for the issue to mail in December and nearly complete for issue one of next year with stories to spare.

Just to reiterate, we are on top of this. Wait and see
1930 Chris-Craft Model 100 20' "MOXIE"
1940 Chris-Craft Red and White 25' "Old Paint"
1946 Chris-Craft Sportsman 25' "CinCity"

Wilson Wright
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by Wilson Wright » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:05 pm

Jim:

As close as I thought Bill and I were, he never let on to me there were "other editors" for The Brass Bell. It was obvious that there were contributors although as I know from my own experience and to hear Bill tell it, it was sometime like pulling teeth to meet deadlines. All that aside, I am delighted, as will I'm sure other club members will be, to know there are others standing by, ready and willing to fill in where Bill left off. There is little doubt that after several years of experience with the publication that the graphics people can handle the lay out and the printer can handle the press work and mailing. The third and perhaps biggest part of handling the publication is developing the content and I now feel reassured that you and the Board have that well in hand and that our Brass Bell will as it has over the past 40 years only continue to get better and better. Thanks for setting me straight and letting me and the rest club members know, that as much as we will miss Bill, The Brass Bell continues to be in good hands...Bill would want it that way.

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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by jfrprops » Fri Oct 16, 2015 10:30 am

What a fine fellow. Terrible lost to all of us. Sincere sympathy to his family and many friends.

John in Va.

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Al Benton
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Re: Very Sad News:

Post by Al Benton » Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:21 am

Bill's loving wife Pat announced that the Baldwin family will spread his ashes on Chautauqua Lake in New York in a private ceremony and gather for a Celebration of Life on an undisclosed date in the near future. A similar Celebration of Life will be planned and held in Dallas, Texas a few weeks later for friends and family.

Donations in Bill Baldwin's memory and honor should be directed to The Lawson Center in Bemis Point, NY which was near and dear to his and Pat's heart. Bill was instrumental in preserving the Lawson Center and served as a Founding Trustee. Visit their website at http://www.TheLawsonCenter.org.

The Lawson Center
PO Box 10
Bemis Point, NY 14712
Al
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