Bill Sandlin
                                               Aug 1, 1944 - Dec 2, 2010

Bill was probably my second best friend.  I met him one night along with my friend Paul shortly after coming back to San Francisco in 1969.  Shortly after we became roommates, with about five other people at 25 Hugo Street. Those were my Hippie days. I snuck this one when he wasn't looking.  We were camping out at Salmon Creek in Big Sur California. The picture above is the only one I have of Bill.  He was allergic to cameras!   I remember it was a wonderful time.  I had just turned twenty one!  We decided to hitch to LA the next morning.  It was a trip I will never forget. We lived on and off together up until the mid eighties.  We had many adventures together hitchiking all over California.  Besides being camera shy, he also collected people!  That was how we met.  When we were roommates, he was always bringing in some person who had no place to live.  I met many of my friends thru Bill.  Usually we would find a place together, and I would end up with a bunch of roommates, and Bill would take off for parts unknown.

Bill would come and go from my life.  He was a wanderer.  He was always going somewhere.  Whether it was San Blas, Mexico or Vancouver, Canada.  He would disappear, then months later would reappear, with tales of his adventures. Sometimes with a new found friend.  The last time I saw him he was living in Sarasota.  He said he couldn't wait to get out of Florida.  He was born here, but except for his folks had no ties that bound him.  When his father passed on in 1995 he headed to San Diego, with his boyfriend Nathan.  We exchanged letters for awhile.  Then the letters stopped.  A few years ago, I finally found that he had passed away.  I don't know just what happened.  Bill will remain in my heart forever.