Posted by Bernie T on February 10, 2002 at 21:53:01:

This is a tribute to Bob Lilly. I met Bob at the Q and Cushion pool hall in Turners Falls Mass in 1966,the day he got out of jail for the last time. We drank, fought, partied, drove at high speeds, chased wild women, argued , loved and cried together. Bob was a friend for life in and out of recovery. He was open , blunt, irritating, but very loving. If you planned to sit and wimper around Bob, you had trouble, big trouble. He was real and only about solutions or just letting God handle it. He did that so well it irritated me in early sobriety. He also was a Harley Davidson rider for many years. He was a proud member of the Fifth Chapter Motorcycle Club for some time. Anyways Bob and I moved to Florida from Atlanta in 1983 in Dec. We were business partners and Bob worked with me for several years and we got a fine business going here together. He was there for me and all my family always. I loved Bob like a blood brother and my children called him Uncle Bob. He was very involved in Florida AA for years. Serving AA thousands of cups of coffee, of which he drank thousands. LOL! He also chaired an alateen meeting for upwards to twenty young, crazy and wild adults every week with my wife Jackie. The man had the respect of the teens. Bob was never an old man , his heart was young in spirit always. You see Bob had heart, honor and lot's of streetwise love. See he understood from growing up in Ft Liquordale Fl.as he called it! He saved lives here on the streets of New Smyrna Beach FL! Many productive young adults live because he convinced them to live clean and sober! Bob loved hard. Everyone who was before him knew he was a loyal friend who was about sobriety. When God called Bob back to Atlanta to live he was very missed by many here. You see, we understood he was his own man and he followed his heart and that was Ok. He left Florida with a message of AA. He came to you all up there so you could have some of his gift! My whole family loved Bob from the littlest up. I would also mention a large AA family here in Florida loved Bob also. He helped get my son sober in Alateen and now he's got 10 years in AA. Bob was a giver of the program of AA and he had a rap you could understand. I'll see you on the other side brother. Thank you for your unconditional love to my family Especially the night and armed intruder was out to do us harm. You never ran. You courageously talked the man out of shooting us, ever so calmly. Fear seldom existed in you. I respect you for that. You will not be forgotten. I am proud of you for the courage to die clean and sober. I know it was by the grace of God and AA. I hope you ain't mad I did not make your services but I was gone to another friends funeral when I heard of yours . Save me a spot up there. Your brother in recovery WARRIOR, Class of 1965, I LOVE YOU BROTHER, Ride free with Bill W.