I recalled fondly in a previous post, how they were certain students, definitely a lot of Nerinx girls, but also John Duvall and Greg Anderson, and many others that would just do whatever I asked with a smile on their face. I have many life long friends that would jump into whatever I am trying to accomplish (hint: No Place Like Home 5k, October 6th) and just help me. But in the last 10 years I have a new group-- dads who just signed up for a service trip with their daughter. I can understand a little bit more the first two groups, but I am talking people I have just recently met doing incredible things, just because I asked them. They are all aware of the bigger picture and help many in our community. Here is what I know, all I have to do is ask and there are now about a dozen people who would jump to help us. One of the very first of the Super Dads was Bill Elliott.
Bill Elliott and Scott Barnes still have the distinction of leading one of the best projects we have ever accomplished in Biloxi. These two men and about a dozen of the best young workers ever started with a 20' x 30' plywood base and had all the wall up and the roof trusses within a week. It really was an amazing project. Jessi Pachak started it out by literally digging under the house and removing all the debris. The all-star team was there Amelia, Sam and Megan, Jessi, Kelly, Amanda, Melanie, and so many more. The best picture I have of this group is all of them hoisting the south wall in the air, so I cannot see any faces. Bill was the de facto project manager of this group with Scott Barnes as his trusty sidekick. They were incredible in their knowledge, their work ethic, and seriously instructing the young volunteers to get the job done. They were a very cohesive group. This is what community looks like. Bill did get shot in the upper thigh, by a nail gun, but Amelia maintains it was an "accident"/
Since that time, Bill and his crew at Kenrick Design have always been a willing participant to anything I asked him to do. He is very deliberate talker and thinker and I listen to his words carefully, because I always learn something. I think Bill always puts a thoughtful effort into what he is going to say, so I always listen. The next year was one of the times, we went to Biloxi with over 100 volunteers. I had traveled down there on Spring Break to line up more work, Back Bay only had room for so many helpers. We worked with a organization that was trying to help people, but had neither the expertise or the history of Back Bay Mission. They decided they could do the best for people by doing a very unique almost impossible rehab. It could not be a new construction, because there was no government money for new stuff only rehab. So Bill and his crew, had to replace the floor and the floor joists while the building was still standing. If you want to try this at home, try putting on a pair of dress shoes while standing and not being able to bend down. Go ahead and try it, well Bill Elliott with Haley Hunter and Lizzie Puzniak and Camille Todd and many others did it. But they did it with a house.
I am trying to remember how many times Bill went to Biloxi with us, because it kind of seems like in a small way he is always there. He has gladly welcomed several groups of brand new high school girls into his business and spent an afternoon showing us how to use the tools and just as importantly why we build the way we do. On more than one occasion, he also lined up a talk by the professional organization of women in construction. I have not seen Bill for a little while now, and so when I was thinking of breakfasts, he was definitely on the list. There were some old people at Breadco involved in a discussion that was a little bit wrong, so I was eavesdropping on them when Bill walked in. Thirty seconds later, we were talking like two old friends and we shared stories about Biloxi and what is new.
It turns out a lot is new for Bill and his wife as they have taken the church at Bompart and Tuxedo that was built in 1885 and turned it into a Bed and Breakfast. So if you have out of town guests, you should definitely look to the Elliotts for hospitality. I am trying to think right now of something I have done for Bill Elliott, I am kind of drawing a blank. When I think of what he has done for me, I could easily list a dozen impossible (upside house) favors that he did for me with a smile on his face.
I know Bill's daughter, Amanda, who has started her own family is very proud of her dad, and would say great things about him. I think one of the biggest tributes I could give to Bill is this. We often tell the new students about the jobs we have completed, sometimes we drive them by the house on Wisteria. The students will ask Megan Manuel, "How did you build that house?" Megan will just exhale happily and say, "Well, we had Mister Elliott." I think Haley Hunter would use similar words, Amelia (Shooter) besides trying to kill him thinks the world of him.
Tomorrow night I will see my brother-in-law Gary Mindel. Gary was at Breadco conducting a job interview and I introduced him to Bill. Gary will ask me, "How do you know Bill Elliott" and I get to say the most wonderful four words in the world.
He is my friend.
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