I enjoyed many good times with Tom Feeney and we shared many things in common....an Irish Catholic family upbringing with lots of siblings, we both loved to be at the lake or in the water, we loved to bike ride, swim, play pool, hike and downhill skiing. His favorite saying to me was that I could talk a dog off a meat wagon. I would then reply that he could sell an eskimo a fridgerator. I would talk of my 90 year old Mom and he would talk of his 84 year young Dad and his days in Boston. We both have a daughter and son who we would often talk about. We enjoyed many good times on my two jet skis both at Lake McConaughy and Chatfield Reservoir. I will say Tom loved speed whether it was jet skiing, boating, downhill skiing or hiking. I tried to keep up with him and once when skiing I took a nasty fall and Tom just kept on going and caught up with me an hour later and said "where you been" as I suffered from the fall. Tom was "klyde crashcup" as I would call him. Once we floated the Platte River in float tubes & he was all bruised up with blood all over his body. When ever we played ping pong which he loved to do there was blood all over the walls and he would never want to quit, bike riding would include a careening off the trail into a bush, hiking at break neck speed he would occasionally land in a ditch, or when boating he could fall off the side of a boat with the greatest of ease and then stand up with a big smile and blood streaming down his arm. Never failed to bleed when outdoors. He was my outdoor activity buddy and after I sold my CPA practice in January, 2010 he was the guy for a mid day adventure. Tom you will always be in my heart and no doubt you will always bring a smile to my face when I recall our many good times. We all love you. I hope you are in the water up there enjoying some laughter and good conversations. Keep the boat throttle at full speed and the wind in your hair. Mr. Lang as you would refer to me.

Letting Go

© Shannon Billeter

Published on December 2007

You're still here in my heart and mind,
still making me laugh cause your stories live on.
I hold you in a thought and I can feel you.
I feel you and this gives me strength and courage.
The tears I have cried for you could flood the earth
and I know you have wiped each one away.
For you Brother, I promise you this,
I will go on with my life and make you proud. I will always hold you in my heart.
I promise you I will be missing you everyday till the end of time,
but this is not my end and I can't hold my head underwater....I need to breathe.
I need to love and miss you, but I also need to live because through me you will live,
you will still laugh and love,
you will still sing and dance,
you will still hug and kiss.
You will forever be in our lives,
you will forever be a brother,
a son,
an uncle
and friend.
I am going to miss your shining face
I think of you and wonder why?
I might cry or smile,
but at the end of the day I am one day closer to you....