More rememberances of Bill......Readers Remember Bill Meehan
By David Morrow
Editor in Chief
09/18/2001 06:44 PM EDT
Our tribute to Bill Meehan generated scores of responses from readers. Given how this tragedy has united all of us, I thought it best to share some of our readers' feelings about Mr. Meehan with you.
Herein, are some of the letters:
-- Dave
Gentleman's Style
I always enjoyed reading Bill's commentary on the markets, even if I didn't agree with him. More than most of his peers, Bill seemed to be able to judge the short-term ebb and flow of the markets. I always enjoyed his dry wit, and share his love for rock 'n' roll music. We will all miss him.
-- Rick Friedman
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As someone who reads a decent amount of investment advice/opinions on the Net, I always had tremendous respect for Bill's approach. In my opinion, the biggest thing readers look for is integrity, a straight shooter, and consistency; Bill Meehan was all of those. My prayers go out to his family and loved ones -- Bill will be sorely missed.
-- Rick Erickson
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You taught me much. You will be missed. God bless you and your family.
-- Scott Warren
He was such a nice guy, I really liked him. I knew him only from his contributions to TheStreet.com. His vivid style to write gave him an almost physical presence even for those following his writings online in foreign countries.
What a pity...
-- Claus P. Sesin
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I always read Bill's posts. Lately I had been doing quite well following his recommendations. But what I'll miss most about Bill was his style. He was genuine, and I always felt like he was a friend advising me. Good bye, Bill. I'll miss you, but I'll never forget you.
-- Ted Pawlikowski
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I am sorry to hear of the loss of Bill Meehan. I know how it affects all of you. It affects us, too. Reading your writings everyday, we form relationships with all of you ... some good, some bad; but all strangely personal. I liked and respected Bill and already miss him.
-- Tom Morgan
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Thank you for offering this opportunity for readers to give tribute to Bill Meehan.
Bill was a very good friend.
I first met Bill on Silicon Investor. I had commented to some other SI participant "Doesn't Meehan flip flop quite a bit?" A month or so later, Bill Meehan himself responded. I had no idea Bill was a member of SI, but from there his participation flourished. The thread on which he participated was called "The Myth of the Big Kahuna." The idea was that there were those of us that believed three or so years ago, that the market was too high and would come down at some point.
After Bill and I and others had become quite regular pals on SI, one day I asked Bill to use the word "Myth" on one of his TV appearances in honor of the thread. All in all, he did that for us about 20 times. My nickname on SI was "Antman" and one day he even said that the market looked "Antsy."
Here was a guy that had been a little early calling for the market to decline, but suddenly his calls were dead on the money. He called the original Nasdaq drop within a point or two at 2150. He was in demand everywhere on TV and became a regular on Real Money. And yet he was still tipping his hat to his pals on TV. I echo the comment that your editors and contributors are making. No matter how well he did, he never talked down to you. You were Bill's peer.
An absolutely extraordinary quality. The only person I have known to compare him to was Richard Feynman, who was a Nobel Prize winner in physics, yet always was generous with his time and never talked down to anyone. And Feynman, too, had a diverse set of interests including music, etc.
Bill was scheduled to come to our wedding this month, and he will dearly be missed. You can rest assured that there will be a Cantor Fitzgerald tie there which he had given me.
I don't know that I can do justice to conveying the warmth of his character. Recently when the parasailor hooked himself on the Statue of Liberty, I emailed him and told him "You crazy New Yorkers" and he wrote on Trading Track that a friend had written him and he was off to the windows for a better view.
We celebrated when he first appeared on Wall $treet Week.
Thanks for sharing your great ride, Bill. We love you dearly. You taught us a lot about the market, but much more about life. We commend your soul to the Lord, and pray that you have found peace.
We'll miss you deeply.
Your friend forever.
-- Paul Mott
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Mr. Meehan was another great reason for me to be a subscriber and a stock holder of The Street.com. He was part of a very smart group of Wall Street savvy people who on the site have made me and saved me a lot of money over the years. I will surely miss his insight. God bless.
-- Mike Rimland
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Bill was the best. Not much else to say.
-- Jim Chubb
To Beard or Not to Beard ... the Question Answered
Bill was not only informative and insightful, he was able to interject humor, sarcasm and a personal flavor to his commentary. I appreciated the fact that Bill would take the time to answer my emails, as his writings were usually thought-provoking and often warranted responses from myself. One in particular that illustrated his personal touch was a series of correspondence discussing the pros and cons of his "beard/no beard" dilemma. His insight will be missed, but much more so will be his humor, wit, and "regular guy" style that makes this reader feel as if he has lost a friend. My heart goes out to his family and friends...
-- Michael Piotrowsk
When Bill shaved the beard, we exchanged emails.
Original message: Yo, one man's opinion on the loss of the facial, having seen you on TV and reading you regularly here, the beard matched your style. Sans beard is a more square look. Don't start sounding like all the others.
Reply: LOL. Thanks for the feedback, Doug. I don't think there's much risk that I'll sound like most of those other self-important, one trick pony sell side jokers. Just tryin' not to look my age; midlife crisis?
-- Doug Lauder
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Lucinda Williams
We shared a mutual interest in the singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams and both of us attended her concert earlier this year in NYC. We never actually met, even there, but corresponded by email about her and the market. About the market, I congratulated him for being right so often but told him I wished he would be wrong, since he was right being bearish. God bless him, his family and our city and country. I hope he is Rock 'n' Roll Heaven.
-- Mark J Thompson
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I never met Bill Meehan, but once when I had a question about the bond market and its relation to equity trading, I sent him an email. He responded back quickly and said that if I would be so kind as to email him my number, he would take some more to walk me through a more detailed explanation later. True to his word, about 45 minutes after the closing bell rang, Bill called, and almost an hour later, I knew far more than I ever wanted to know about the bond market. But the best thing was, Bill treated me, an at-home trader, collegially and professionally, just as I imagine he would Barton Biggs or Jim Cramer.
That was our only phone call, but not our only contact. His column was the first thing I read in the mornings when it was posted premarket, and I loved the days he was in the Trading Track. I always close my emails by stating where I'm from -- I think it makes us a little more neighborly, and he always asked how things were in Sugar Land. We shared similar tastes in music. I told him if he liked Lucinda Williams, he should get Robert Earl Keen; he emailed me to thank me for the recommendation.
But the thing I remember most is that he always included an invitation to stop by and pay him a visit "if I could ever pry myself out of Texas" and that we would go out for a cold one. Or two.
Bill was a great help to me when he didn't have to be. He was gracious to invite me up to see him and drink a cold one with him. I think I will always regret not being able to pry myself out of Texas soon enough to accept his offer. Tonight, I will salute you, Bill, with the sounds of Lucinda Williams in the background and my best cigar in your honor. And memory.
-- David A. Hilburn
For the Family
To the Family,
I am deeply shocked to learn that we have lost a great commentator. He will be really missed.
May the Lord give you all courage to fight this great loss in your lives.
Sincerely,
-- Ajay Shah
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Fortunately, I did not know anyone personally who perished. However, I felt like I knew Bill from his many columns. I came to really like him and he will be missed. My prayers are with his family. Thank you for the tribute.
-- Paul Mehr
Things Can Be No Worse
Bill's last article he wrote for TheStreet.com was titled "Things Could be Worse." Now that Bill is presumed gone, this title still stands. It took terrorists to knock down a world class landmark, affect millions of lives, even take the lives of over 5.000 human beings. What the terrorists could not do is change the way Americans grieve for those we knew, and those we did not know. Americans also have the need to be free, and will fight to the death to defend freedom. If all this changed, Bill's article title would have been wrong. Then the title "Things Could Not Ne Worse" would be correct. Bill, I will miss you.
-- Jeff Horwitz
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You Taught Us Well
I have read and followed his advice avidly, with great results. My first reaction was selfish in "What will I do without the sage advise that has profited me?" But I have come around to feeling that a personal friend has been lost to me. I will miss him.
-- Benjamin Rodriguez
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It's funny the feeling of friendship that can develop over the wires. I have found the true nature of someone is readily accessible through their writings ... somehow the heart sneaks in. I count Bill Meehan among my friends. We never spoke. We only exchanged emails. But when the first news of the tragedy was broadcast, my mind immediately went to Bill and his new offices at the World Trade Center. I knew he was on the 105th floor. Odd. I scanned the RealMoney Web site for any contribution from Bill posted on Tuesday. I hoped to find a "I'll be on CNNfn @10:15 this morning if..." note but there was none. I logged into the Cantor Fitzgerald site to no avail. My heart sank. I was surprised at the sense of loss I was beginning to feel. A few emails now and then, that's all. It's not like you really knew him I told myself. But I did. Bill is one of those "good" guys. Someone who everyone liked. He wore life like a loose garment. He had an inner peace about him that attracted others. He liked his music and he liked celebrating life with friends. He had fun. Bill was good at his job, too. The growing admiration and respect for Bill by other RealMoney contributors was readily apparent on the Web site. I increasingly relied on his "indicators" and profited from his wisdom. The man knew the market. He also had the requisite humility to succeed on Wall Street. And just as many of the contributors on TheStreet.com, he cared about those of us who follow him in this difficult profession. He gave back. He never chided me for my ignorance. He only suggested another way. He replied to every note I sent him. Lastly, Bill taught me (us) a little about life. His Christmas column sums up who he was and hoped to be and what I (we) strive for:
"I decided to share some words of wisdom that I received Thursday morning for my final piece of the old millennium. They're purported to be from the Dalai Lama, who's obviously far smarter than I am, and he's unquestionably one of the world's great spiritual leaders. Besides, I'm in full agreement with his "Instructions for Life." Not only that, but my ex-wife tells me that there's an abundance of good karma coming my way if I share them with you within 96 hours.
You, too, might benefit by passing them on to all of your friends, relatives and acquaintances. I wouldn't be surprised if doing so, and also following them, won't improve your personal, professional and spiritual life. Here they are:
Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
Follow the three "R's": Respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for all your actions.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Learn the rules, so you know how to break them properly.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Spend some time alone every day.
Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the Earth.
Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
And, I'll end with one (or is it two?) of my own rules:
Concern yourself only with the things you can change, and remember that you can always change how you perceive any difficulties."
Thanks, Bill.
-- Todd Hibbert
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Thank you so much for this chance to share in others memories of Bill. My own are so few, yet I miss him dearly. My first introduction to Bill was last year, about this time, and he had a very nasty cold. Since one of the things I do is help others with nutritional advice and products, I emailed Bill a list of things he needed and how to choose the best -- most expensive products. I think he thought I was nuts, but it didn't stop him from responding kindly to any email I sent thereafter. My last one involved my appreciation of the clear statement he made on CNN when he showed up for an interview in a bright blue Hawaiian shirt. After a year and a half of a bear market, which he clearly saw and navigated well, he had no one to impress. There was only fun to be had.
One other point: for me, Bill was someone to take seriously. After reading Cramer for optimism, Aaron for the contrarian view, Herb for what to avoid or short, Tony to feel good ... I would read Bill for the truth.
My heart goes out to Bill's family and friends.
-- Laurie Lee
To Bill:
I have lost myself,
I had have checked my perception against your criticism,
And now I am questioning,
What would have happen,
If You raise your voice,
Against this Reality which is,
Against my perception that.
We are without YOU. . .
--Nataliya Zakhalov
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I loved the days that Bill was on the Track. His humorous style of writing captivated me. He and I are the same age and I sort of considered him an alter ego. Wow, he lived the Sixties!! He actually saw those groups. Me, I was growing up in small-town Canada, getting the experience only through the media.
I loved the kid in him. I have only been in N.Y. twice -- both one-day trips for Cramer's seminars and did not have time to see the sights. But, I did see them, through Bill's eyes high above the world on the 104th floor. I remember not long ago him posting about being right back, he had to go see the goofball that got his parasail hung up on the Statue of Liberty.
His wisdom of the market was superb, however; these are the things that warmed my heart and made me feel I knew the man.
-- Marg McGuire
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I will miss his daily commentary, his Seibel trades! And his many musical reminiscences.
-- Marlene Axinn
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I started visiting TheStreet.com about three years ago -- I think, and Bill's concise and wise commentary was one of the primary columns that led me back to this site again and again, leading me to eventually set it as my home page on the Internet. I found his columns to be "on target" and to turn out to have genuine validity more than any other commentator's remarks. He was never strident, always thoughtful and practical. His reasoning was always sound, even when I didn't agree with him completely. He was right much more often than I was. I found his columns so useful that I printed out hundreds of them and have kept them for quick reference.
I felt that I had gotten to know him and now feel a terrible sense of loss that his life has probably been snuffed out so prematurely. As his family mourns this tragedy, let them know that there are probably thousands more like me who feel his absence very sharply. We will miss him!
-- Judy Horton
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Blue Hawaiian
I emailed Bill Meehan often about his columns. He was very responsive and answered almost every one. In one of the earliest e-mails I told him how much I enjoyed his columns, but that I wished they weren't as long. He admitted to me that he tended to get a little verbose and would work at it. Even though he didn't know me, I felt a high level of sincerity in his responses.
The last time I saw Bill on television was a couple of weeks ago. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I got a great kick out of that, and it was probably indicative of his lack of pretentiousness.
Bill seemed to be a really cool guy. He was the kind of guy I would have liked to have a couple of beers or a martini with. His articles were very insightful. You could make money (in the long run) by following his advice.
I will miss Bill Meehan a lot. I pray for his soul and pray that his family finds comfort in this sad time.
-- Alan Andler
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Even though I am based in Europe, I have come to know Bill Meehan as a real friend when it came to answering my frequent questions about the U.S. stock markets. I will miss his elaborate articles on the TheStreet.com and his knowledgeable competence he was always willing to share with us.
My deep condolences go out to his family, his wife and his children.
"Memory is the only paradise, where one cannot be expelled from -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Theologian."
Ralph Eisert
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I hadn't turned on my computer for a whole week. I was caught up in the tragedy that fell upon us on Sept. 11. My immediate suffering (besides that which I felt for the victims) was only to have to drive my daughter 1040 miles to school from New Orleans, La., to Cleveland to attend Cleveland State University because no planes were flying. I was back home now in New Orleans and wanted to check in to see what my favorite market strategists had to say. I searched on Monday for Bill Meehan's column and was surprised to find that he had nothing to say. Today I wish that were the case as I learned that he will have nothing to say ever again. In these last few months of market turmoil, I counted on Bill to advise me on what to watch out for. I trusted him and he seemed to know more than anyone else what was happening. I cry today for him, his family and everyone like me who totally enjoyed his honest, no-nonsense and like-it-or-not opinions. Thanks Bill.
Kathy Reynolds
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The Best and the Brightest
During the various ups and downs of the market over the past few years, Bill Meehan was always one of the few analysts I listened to, because he was very clear and articulate. He wasn't always right, but he was sincere and you always knew where he stood.
Bill Meehan was one of the best and brightest -- God bless his family.
Charlie Pascu |
