Thank you for this and for pointing out that Bill remained an instrument of God until He died.

Wenever Jan 24 rolls around..always remember Bill's passing it's the same day as my deceased God mother's birthday.

I knew Bill Wlson when I was a college kid in N.Y. I worked after school in a tobaconist selling pipes, cigarettes and tobacco...Bill was a customer .. 43st Street and Madison Ave, another store on 42nd Park Ave So ..around the corner from AA hqts. I did not know anything about AA at the time. My boss apparantly was in AA not a very good member..I remember him saying hide the beer, I needed a couple after classes before work..drinking age 18..he used to talk to Jack in the back of the store...knew him several years as Mr. Wilson

A few years later finished college and grad school was a trainee inthe investment banking business..living with other trainees in the Bedford hotel in NY.".lo and behold"..there walking out the door..didn't recognize me at first with my Brooks Brother suit and my attache case..Mr. Wilson..He greated me..Tomas from the store..Yrs Hello Mr. Wilson..I'm with the trainees..we are living here..Bill mentions he often stayed there when staying in town..again not far from HQTS on 41st Park Ave so.

Years later I was reading Passing It On..I saw a picture of him in a sports jacket he wore often..I said that's Mr. Wilson...Bill Wilson from the program..I was sober then about 10 years at the time I made that connection

The irony I sold Bill Wilson his cigarettes..Bill died of emphazima.

gonee wrote:

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January 24, 1971. Today is the day Bill W. co-founder of AA died 42 years ago.

I am grateful that God used this man to start Alcoholics Anonymous for a sick alcoholic like me.

He served selflessly, never got rich but remained as an instrument of God until He died.

But what a legacy of recovery he had left for millions of alcoholics and theirfamilies.

-- Edited by gonee on Thursday 24th of January 2013 06:48:58 AM

-- Edited by gonee on Thursday 24th of January 2013 06:49:57 AM

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 X2 Brother!  Thanks for sharing this!

Thanks for a bit of history Tomas.

One might say..what killed Bill wilson..cigarettes...who sold him the cigarettes between 1962 to 1965..Tomas did. I never knew why Jack would say "Hide the beer". I guess.Bill Wilson was 12 stepping Jack who often told me that "He was on the wagon"

Many times I would come into work carrying two half quarts of Rhingold beer from across the street...One for me one for him..A charismatic Irishman from Cork..He told me his fiance wouldn't marry him less he gave up drinking.. I thought that was rediculous.

In those days Bill W. was a celebrity..Carl Jung personally applauded Bill for his results.

Thanks Gonee for posting this. Great story, Tomas- thanks for sharing it.