McMahon: Bye, bye Bill
Jun 3, 2010, 7:39 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2012, 3:27 am
Bill Austin didn’t come to my house very often, but when he did, he wouldn’t go home. A few years ago, after many invitations, he came over for dinner and we finally made him leave at 4 a.m.
We were all laughing so hard at everyone’s stories we just lost track of the time. And you know that’s what just happened. I lost track of how much time had gone by since I saw Bill – and suddenly – he was gone.
Oh, we all knew he had cancer and that his therapy made him lose his hair but – he was only 55. Funny, nice guys are supposed to live longer than that.
When I first met Bill Austin he was doing TV weather on Channel 12. He told me it wasn’t much fun because he had to get all those temperatures in and there wasn’t enough time for silly stuff. He loved silly stuff, but everyone who listened to him during his 20 years on KEZ knows that.
His partner Beth knew. They talked together and cooked together on TV. He told me early that morning at my house he used to do pretend talk shows in his room growing up in Roswell, N.M. I wish I could have another all-nighter with Bill Austin. This time I wouldn’t let him go home.
Listen to Pat McMahon Sundays on News/Talk 92.3 KTAR at 6:30 a.m. (The God Show) and 4 p.m. (The McMahon Group).
