My Dad (speech @ funeral) by Marc Fletcher

My father, William Byron Fletcher was an intelligent, loving, loyal and extraordinary man. He was our father, grandfather, husband, uncle, coach, professor, friend, and an unbelievable hunter. He left us doing what he loved. He had a passion to hunt with me and Aric. He was so happy with his life, being a professor. He said he always had to pinch himself and say “Am I really teaching a class at a university?” He loved to educate people how to teach others how to live a quality life. He loved Eileen passionately and his children, step-children and grandchildren. He touched hundreds of thousands of lives from the day he was put on this earth, coaching, teaching, counseling. The counseling…he had the ability to put a thousand words into just a few. A very well-spoken man. He made you feel so good, just to listen to him speak.

We almost lost this man a year ago to a bleeding ulcer. I am so thankful for the time we had from then until now. He had a birthday, and time in the home that he and Eileen built. We got to go hunting last August. It was a beautiful weekend. We always stopped at this Flying J restaurant in Evanstan before we would go back into Utah and go to his playground the Uintah Wilderness areas. He stopped eating and looked at me and said, “Boy it is a miracle that I am sitting here with you and we are going to hunt elk.” And that was an understatement. I will never forget that weekend. We talked about everything. We hiked a hundred miles in four days and we talked the whole time. Every step, every ridge, every mountain. He always was worried that he would not finish teaching me how to hunt elk. You did, so rest easy my father. He remained in the mountains an additional five days by himself. He insisted on taking me back to the truck himself for me to drive his truck back to Ogden without him. We gave each other a hug and we both began to sob and cry. He said it was the hardest thing he had to do. I watched that man walk up the ridge until I could not see him any longer. I cried all the way back home. He always pushed everything to the limit…hunting, coaching, teaching and especially loving. He always said Jesus is love, but I think William Fletcher is love.

My father loved life and most everything about it. Altogether, he was “Outstanding!” as he would say. He wrote a book and it was going to be finished this year. He just needed to write a smaller version of it. Dad, I will get it finished for you one way or the other.

Eileen, he loved you very much. He always made that clear. And Eileen’s kids…he was always so happy for how close he got to each of you. Grampa Dale, he always talked about you and what a good man you are. He told me a story about when you were riding your three wheeler and hit a rock and fell straight over and soon after, he bought you that four wheeler because it was safer. He loved to go to Tooele with you.

Shirley and Dick…he was so touched by how much you loved him and he spoke of you often….the times you had…the dinners Dick would cook and just being with you.

Marcie and Kris, my dad felt lucky to have you for sisters. He enjoyed being with you and talking about his life that he had with you. He was your big brother and guardian at different times in your lives. I know he loved you both very much.

To my mom and sisters, we had a great family growing up. We had a mom and dad who devoted their lives to us. We have a million good memories. We were a wild bunch and we still are! We always laughed and had fun. Dad had a great sense of humor. He was always telling us that he was going to drop kick us off the deck. And we believed him for a very long time. But finally we realized he was not going to drop kick us off the deck, but it had worked for all those years. When anything got crazy around the house which was often, he would say “this is like a Chinese fire drill!” He always told you Angi that he loved to watch you dance and to watch you cheerlead at games. Hollie he always told you what a great job you did in spite of your hardships and if you continued to work as hard as you have, you will accomplish anything. You were the first kid he ever coached. Aric you were his star soccer player for Weber State. He was very proud of the national championship when you beat BYU in the finals. Andrea he was so proud of you getting your degrees especially when you got your graduate degrees in counseling and he was proud of the woman you have become. Dad never called anyone by their names. He had nick names for all of us. Mom was Fox. Andrea was puhchooka cheekers. Hollie was Hollie Wolly or Hollie Fletch. Aric was ALWAYS Boy. I was Peewee. Angela for some reason had the most nick names….Skodie Bodie, Yoda, Miss Piggy, Skode and Dawn. Dad loved us all very much.

Aric, my brother, I am so thankful for you. Dad would be so proud of how we adapted and survived up there so that we would be able to live and raise his grandchildren. Aric have no regrets about that day. We have a purpose on this earth and it was not our time.

Thank you Dad for the cell phone service, and lighting our fire and for the 40 minute break in the weather to allow the helicopter to get up to us. I know that Dad made all that happen. He always kept us safe. I believe that my father knew what was to come. He made it very clear for us to stay where we were and to not follow him. He was also very quiet during the last hour. He told me happy birthday a few hours after midnight. The day I came into this world 26 years ago was on the same date that you left us. I am so thankful for the last hours I had with you. You will be in my heart forever, my best man, my best friend, the best dad. I love you very much.

Your Son
Marc William