This is where our society has brought us. On the porch of the funeral home there was a sign NO CELL PHONES, NO CAMERAS PLEASE.What have we come to? The fact that someone would even have to post a sign like that tells us that we are not the respectful and dignified society we once were. It tells us that some people would go to a funeral home, take a picture and then post it either on the Internet or worse, sell it to a supermarket tabloid. We have lost our innocence and have fallen into the den of inequity, where we are crass and rude and mostly disrespectful.
We buried the King of the Pitchmen today. It was a sad. A man who died at the pinnacle of his career and at too young an age. Billy came home to be buried because he never forgot where he came from.
This is not so much about Billy, but about his home, he foundation, his development. McKees Rocks can be a tough place to grow up in. I know people who didn't want to go to the funeral home because "that's a rough neighborhood." The "Rocks" can be a rough place. I grew up not far from there so my friends and I would often spend a Friday or Saturday night mixing with the locals. We got into our share of "scuffles" there and to be honest, it gave us a boatload of stories. It's a place that can rival Bloomfield for the most "wife beater" T-shirts per square mile. It can be a rough as Hell's Kitchen in New York. It's had it's share of problems over the years.
But it's a place where you learn loyalty. You know immediately you are not from around there and so do they. People there don't like outsiders here. They will treat you with respect, but they are more loyal to and are very protective of their own. They are good people. They teach their kids values and respect. They remember you and if you are one of them, they will stand by you to the end. If you are a real friend of one of their own, they will treat you as if you were raised there. I still go to Mancini's Bakery which is open 24 hours a day and no matter what time I roll up there, I am greeted with great people, hard working and dedicated .
That's were Billy grew up. Billy always remembered that. As I waited in line Thursday I listened to the the locals tell their Billy stories. I didn't talk or ask questions, I just listened. Some recognized me and wanted to tell me more stories about "their" Billy. I listened. I had already liked Billy, but this just solidified my opinion of him.
I wouldn't walk across the street to see a celebrity. I'd walk a hundred miles to see Billy Mays.
By the time I reached the coffin to pay my respect, I had heard many great stories about Billy. I was talking with his son Billy Mays III when the emotions caught up with me. "Little" Billy is just like his father, kind, devoted and generous.
I was able to spend some time with Billy's friend and partner Anthony Sullivan. He recounted to me how he met Billy 15 years ago, right here in Pittsburgh. He talked about how good this town was to Billy and how much his home town meant to him. For all the fame, fortune and acclaim Billy earned, he still loved Pittsburgh and McKees Rocks. Billy bled black and gold and was loyal to his sports teams. Just because he moved away didn't mean he didn't remember his home town.
The funeral wasn't much better for me, but I found comfort in the stories about Billy and in the Mass itself. All the locals were there again to say their goodbyes to Billy. Billy was loyal to them, he never forgot where he came from and he was always there for them. They were there for him and they will always be there for Billy. He was one of them.
That's the good side of this country. The "Rocks" are just like any other small town in this country. They look out for their loyal sons. They remember and they are there to the end.
Goodbye Billy, you will be missed.
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