From Todd…

Happy Birthday Bill! 

I am most thankful for how you impacted Parker while I was living in Korea.  I can’t wait until you can spend some more time around William too.  You were much like Parker’s father while I was gone and he needed that time with you.  He would always talk about you on the phone with me and how you had watched rubbish with him or how he had helped you with something.  You made that time away just a little more bearable and I am so thankful you were there. 

Here is also some video of one of my favorite memories with you.  Have a Great Birthday.

Love, Todd 

From Allen Davidson…

Bill,

Happy Birthday, and I hope you have many, many more.  I want to convey my deep appreciation for having you as my father-in-law.  Though circumstances haven’t allowed me to be with you as much as I would like, I always enjoy visiting with you.  You are interesting to talk with and you have a great sense of humor. You have a wonderful wife and family and, from my perspective, you are very blessed.  I feel blessed to be part of your family.

I hope you’ll do something fun on your birthday.  I would make a joke about stopping over at the neighbors and having a sip over the still.  But, one of my engineer friends at work, that grew up in your neck of the woods, has informed me that such a stereotype doesn’t really fit the larger segment of the population there any more.  Whatever you do, have a great time.  I look forward to seeing you again. 

Love,

Allen

From Erik Connard…

Bill,Happy Birthday. I hope you have a wonderful day and get plenty of cake. I have thought about you and your life many times and have come to a realization that you are a hero, role model and spiritual warrior. I see how you guide your family now and I’ve heard many stories how you guided your family when they were all still under your roof. Bill, I feel very blessed to have my stepfather in my life. Jim came into my life when I was a young teenager and helped me through some pretty rough times.

The reason I mention this to you is because I want you to know that my love for you is as strong as it is for Jim. I find myself looking at your life, not with a jealous eye but with a student’s eye, in hopes of emulating some of your wonderful traits. I know I kid a lot and have a very weird sense of humor, much like you I’ve been told, but this is from the bottom of my heart, I love you very much.
I pray that I can make an impact on my family as you have done so with your family. I have heard all of your children tell wonderful stories about you and how you have helped them throughout their lives and are still helping and willing to drop everything on a moments notice for them. I can not tell you enough that not all fathers love their children as you do.

Fortunately for me, I found that Jim loved me enough to drop his life and be a father to me when I needed one the most. I pray everyday for my wife and tell our Lord how much I am thankful that she is in my life. She is such a wonderful woman Bill. Thank you for loving her the way you did. Without your influence and love, she would not be as wonderful as she is. Just know this on this day, you are a hero, role model and a spiritual warrior for so many people. I love you.

Erik

From Shelley…

Dear Daddy, 

Some of my earliest and fondest memories involving you are memories of you playing tennis with friends and letting me tag along to watch. To me, you were the greatest athlete on earth.

This past year, I was asked “What is your favorite Christmas memory?” I have many favorites, but my very favorite has always been this one: Every year, after decorating the Christmas tree and turning on the lights for that first “Tah-dah!”, I always loved looking at your face and seeing your smile and seeing the reflection of the tree lights in your glasses. It seemed magical.  

As a child and even now, I have loved your sense of humor – when you talk in funny voices, make crazy faces, and my memories of you dressing up as funny characters for Halloween or church parties. You’ve always been so much fun to be around.  

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always thought of you as being bigger than life. You have a great smile and an infectious laugh. You always seem to know everyone around, and people love you.  

As I watched you teach Sunday School and prepare for your lessons over the years, I saw that you were wise and knowledgeable. As I listened and observed you and your work ethic while you were employed at Ford Motor Company, I saw that you had integrity.  

You and Mama have always stood up for what you believe in, and you two have always tried to teach us to make the right choices in life and to turn to the Lord for everything.  

As I was growing up, you always made time to help me with things that were important to me. I remember you helping me to decorate my bicycle for a school parade and walking with me a few years later in a fund-raising walkathon.  

You and Mama always cheered me on and supported me during my high school and college years and after graduation. You’ve always been by my side whether in struggles or in celebrations.   You both have been there to hold my newborn babies, …and you have been there to hold me when my heart has been broken. You’ve always reminded me that God is in control and that everything will be alright.  I have always admired you and Mama more than any other people I know – your love for each other and friendship with each other, your walk with the Lord, your love for your family.  

I know that you’re human like everyone else, but you’re both my heroes, and you always will be.

I hope that you have a very happy birthday.

I love you Daddy.  

Love,

Shelley

From Caroline…

Daddy,

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Daddy! Happy Birthday to yoooooouuuuuuu! Hee hee. I love you, Daddy, and I wish so very much that I could be with you right now to give you a huge, long hug! In my heart, I’m doing just that…and I’m resting my head on your chest telling you how much you mean to me. I can just feel your sweater, your shirt against my cheek, hear your heart, feel the warmth and security of your embrace.

You are so much to so many people Daddy. It’s so interesting to see the common theme – the ways that you’ve touched people. Your humor, your loyalty, stability and strength of character. They keep coming up again and again as people describe what you mean to them. And they are SO right! J

The older I get, the more I realize how special you are, how rare you are… In particular, over the last few months, I’ve had moments where I nearly shuddered at the thought of what my life would have been like without you and Mama as my parents.

One of the things that I’ve been thinking about over and over is how you continue to grow. You are proof to me that to live a life in relationship with Jesus Christ is to be forever growing and stretching and learning and falling and being picked up again and again and again. Tonight I thought back to a time when you and Mama sat the four of us girls down a few years ago and poured out your hearts to us. You took the time, energy and humility to confess mistakes you’d made as parents and asked for forgiveness. Okay, so it was an awkward moment full of emotion, ha ha, but how many children have parents that attempt that reconciliation??

Your marriage graces us, your children. You really are each other’s best friend. Your love grows and matures just as your hearts and minds do. Thank you for being a faithful husband to Mama. Thank you for loving her. Thank you for showing us that love. Thank you for being proud of her. Thank you for treating her with respect. Thank you for acting like complete children around each other. J You are SILLY!

I’m so glad your silliness has been passed down to us. Life is hard and you make it fun! Thank you for that!!! Thank you for choosing to act goofy, ridiculous and completely hilarious! How boring life would be without all your weird sayings, nicknames and personas. Hee hee. I love it.

And thank you for loving me, my husband and my children. You have done so much for us over the years. Last year you were a lifeline to me and the boys while Todd was serving in Korea. We’ve said it before but that time, of living so close to each other for a whole year…was so incredible.You are such an important part of our lives.

You were the one who lead me to Christ. You were the one who walked me down the aisle. You are one who still leads me and guides me today. Thank you!  The security that I feel from knowing that you enjoy my company as I do yours, that we can make each other laugh, pray for each other, apologize to each other, forgive each other, connect with each other, misunderstand each other and keep on loving each other…well, it’s much like being in your embrace, wrapped up in your arms with my head resting on your chest.

You are so much to so many people. This is just a peek into what I appreciate in you. I feel closer to you than I ever have in my whole life and yet I’m on the other side of the world. J I love you Daddy. I’m so glad you are YOU, my Dad, Todd’s father-in-law, Parker’s and William’s Grandaddy Bill!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Love,

Caroline

From Leigh-Ann…

Daddy, It’s hard to believe that you’re turning 70 years young. It still seems like you’re in your 40’s like the rest of us…

I have many warm memories from the years…when Allison and I were really young I remember you would act like an elf..swatting on the floor and jumping towards us.. it would scare and thrill us..making us want you to stop, ….but hoping you didn’t.

And of course the infamous “Unga-Bungas”. When you would take a lost dusty trail down to nowhere and begin the ominous chant…unga-bungas…unga-bungas…always getting louder and louder. Brandon mentioned the other day that you should design a ride for disney based on the Unga-Bungas.

I can also see us at the beach and we would walk to the ice cream store… and eat peanuts in the hotel room after our nightly swim.

Thanks for being a daddy that made us laugh. It helps us through the rough times to laugh.

I wish I could be with you to help you celebrate your wonderful life and eat cake and ice cream and laugh and give you a hug and a kiss.

Thanks for being a wonderful father and friend. I love you with all my heart,

                                                              

                                                                                         Leigh-Ann

P.S.  Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!

From Allison…

Happy Birthday, Daddy!  If I wrote everything I wanted to, you’d have to spend your entire birthday staring at the computer screen.  There are too many memories, too much emotion to put it all down in words….but here are just a few thoughts for this day.  I remember how you would make Leigh-Ann and I double over with laughter (mixed with just the tiniest bit of fear) when you would act like “The Elf” or “The Fat Man”.  I think about when you were working nights and you would call us and pretend to be ”Joe Doe”…I still remember that voice!  I think about how special I would feel when I got to stay up and watch the late show with you…….probably one of the reasons I’m still a confirmed night owl!  I remember being a young teenager and  volunteering you to drive my friends home and inevitably one of them would giggle and whisper, “Your daddy is soooo cute!”  I remember the fun we had watching Monday Night Football and I miss those times even today. 

I realize how much of what I love has been shaped by your example.   It seems that a love for words has been passed down from one generation of Britts to the next.  I am grateful to have inherited your passion for teaching and love for songwriting.  I consider them to not only be gifts from God, but gifts from you as well.  The Bible tells us to “Set an example of good works yourself, with integrity and dignity in your teaching.”  No one could have modeled these instructions better than you have and I only pray that I will follow your lead.

When I look back on my life and your influence, the first word that comes to mind is “unwaivering”.  You have held on to what you know to be true, never changing or losing ground…always moving closer to the heart of God.  To everyone who knows you, and especially to your family, you have reflected the love and mercy of our Heavenly Father.  Every daughter should be so blessed.  I love you with all my heart, Daddy.
Love,

Allison