Welcome

My name is Nathaniel. I began working for Bonacio Construction in January 2006. Soon after I met Billy Benton and immediately knew he was a good guy. Anytime I was looking for advice he was always glad to listen and give his input. In 2012, Billy called me and asked for help, to which I replied “absolutely!” When I met up with him to find out what it was, he replied “help with a plumbing job!”, to which I thought he must be messing with me. When I got in his truck and we went to the hardware store, I knew… it was no longer a joke. We picked up supplies and then we head out to Mike trailer. When we got there, all the plumbing was frozen underneath (this was when Mike was in the hospital). Mike was unable to return home until his water was restored. It was soon after that I realized why I had been asked along… It was because I could fit under the house! With Billy's knowledge and my size, the two of us were able to restore the water and let Mike come home. It was with this act that I found out just how good of a guy he really was. He helped friends in need no matter how hard the job. Billy was dear friend and will be missed by everyone who knew him.

I was with my wife and son at Gavin park watching a soccer game that my daughter Eva and Larissa were playing in. At one point I could see Billy looking at us, and with a huge smile and a half laugh said, “oh boy.” Billy started working his way around the field toward us, stopping to say hello to every person he passed. As he got closer to us he let out a big “Dancing Bear junior!” Until that day, my son had only heard stories about Billy. But on that day, he finally got to meet the legend. Billy extended his huge paw and engulfed my son's eight-year-old hand. Billy must have asked Duke 20 questions or so. Billy wanted to know everything about Duke. He made my son feel like the most important person on the field that day. I have told this story a hundred times over the last eight years. My son remembers that day as the day he finally met Billy Benton and got a nickname. That day, Billy became my son's larger-than-life idol. Billy never forgot Duke, never called him Duke either it was always “Dancing Bear junior” with a big smile and even bigger handshake. My daughters have their own stories, their own encounters, their own “Hi honey, how are you doing” accompanied by a hug and a kiss. Greta has countless memories. She loves Billy. She loved working for him. She loved his story time. I think most of all she loved his encouragement and unwavering support for her and all his employees. We will miss Billy and will hold him in our memories forever. He has truly touched the hearts of every member of our family.

 When we read that the family asked that we drop a memory of Billy in the box, we started all talking about the stories we have of him over the years. My mom focused on his girls and his wife and how proud he always was with his family (and some crazy story about her toilet). My brothers talked about how he would always answer his phone regardless of the date or time when a Galvin would call or text. I talked about the image I had of him standing in my cellar not too long ago, with his hands on his hips watching a brown funky liquid drip out of the pipes and him just shaking his head as he evaluated it all. Yet we all agreed that Billy & my dad were the funniest twosome you could ever come across. My dad, gruff and grumbly (but he loved Billy and his wife) and Billy being polite and smiling at him through the decades…and then came “the bathroom”. My mom and dad moved into a house on 5th Ave that needed quite a bit of work. 

One of the renovations was a new master bathroom. As always, Billy was the guy. It was a tough space, not too big and kind of jammed in the corner of the upstairs bathroom and it took quite a bit of work to get the bathroom like my mom and dad wanted it. Billy and the team worked on the project for some time and eventually they finished. There was Billy standing there with dad. “What do you think Mr. Galvin?” “I like it, Bill, I do” Whew. Next day, Billy is summoned back to 5th Ave and there they are again, standing outside the bathroom in the bedroom. Both of them had their hands on their hips. My mom is there now too.  Billy asks, “What's the matter Mr. Galvin?” to which my father replied, “You've got to rip it out, the bathroom.” “I slipped while I was taking a shower last night and it has to go.” "But Mr. Galvin, we just got done and you like it”. “I'm sorry that you slipped but maybe we could get some of those stickers you can put on the floor?” (Now that anyone knows them both would be hysterical at that line.)  “Billy, do I look like the kind of

guy that wants stickers in my shower?” But “Mr. Galvin to get the bathroom out we'd have to cut it up and take it out in pieces and throw it out the window?!?!?” “So be it, Bill, get it out Bill.” Billy then says to my mom as a last-ditch appeal, “Mrs. Galvin what do I do” to which she replied, “Cut it up and throw it out the window” and she walked away. So, that's what he did... brought in some saws, sawed it up and threw it out the bedroom window onto the side lawn. It was a classic dad 

and wonderful Billy moment. 

One afternoon Billy B called me on the cell like he would on the weekly, but this was after a long monthly finance meeting. He was not the biggest fan of the finance meeting. Always loud and laughing. I asked him how one of his restaurants is going to satisfy their outstanding bill. He had creative ways to keep his account happy as well as his customers. In that Billy Benton tone, he said, “I'm going to go there once a week and have my favorite meal, shrimp cocktail and chicken parmigiana!! until their bill is at zero.” And I said back to him "you were going to turn into a shrimp in order to collect what you’re owed that's a whole lot of shrimp." He bursts out laughing and that's how we always got off the phone bursting at the seams with laughter. I will miss that. I miss him already every day.

Billy would always buy pizza and wings whenever Savannah and Lou would have large sleepovers. I loved when we would sit at the dining table all together making jokes and just talking about our days. 

One time when Lou and I were being smartasses about the pool not being cleaned from the winter, Billy pulled out goggles and wet suit shirts and had us jump in the cold water to brush the algae from the side. I don't think we ever complain about the pool ever again. 

Billy always had a way of making you feel welcomed he'd wrap you in a Big Bear hug and say hello sweetheart with a kiss. Will miss that so much.

Billy Benton was one of the most genuine, kind souls in this world. Yes, we've appreciated the HVAC and plumbing work he did on our house but, we are most thankful for his friendship. When my son Jonathan, was rowing on Saratoga Lake, I always felt better knowing Billy was out there on a safety boat. When the SRA team drove to Florida, Billy volunteered to ride with the kids on the bus. I thought he was crazy, but actually he just wanted to be certain his daughter was safe. Billy would text me from the bus to let me know that my son was doing “great.” They certainly broke the mold when they made Billy. The four of you were everything to him. Billy will be missed by so many. 

 We had only lived in the neighborhood a few years when I got myself hung up on a snow pile at the end of the driveway, and my husband had already left for work. Billy was driving by and very graciously helped by shoveling the car out of the snow and pushed until it was free. After that, whenever our paths crossed, he never failed to smile and wave. I know it doesn't sound like much but in these times, there are not many people who would stop to help a stranger. There is much sadness in our hearts to know such a soul is no longer with us