John Cooper
Livio Billos, August 22, 1925 - September 2, 2006
On Sunday, September 7, 2014, at 11:20 a.m. (the same time as his death eight years ago), the ashes of Bruce's father and our friend Livio were cast to the Chesapeake Bay just outside Annapolis Harbor, as was his wish. Small portions have been retained for return to his beloved Danube River and Hamilton Harbor, Bermuda. Aboard his Hunter 41 “Great Dane,” Captain Jens Glysing-Jensen began the ceremony with a few words to honor this great sailor and fellow-European, two men who have made this country great. I then gave the following tribute to Livio. (Since the sun had passed the yardarm 20 minutes earlier, we then toasted him with champagne.)
Livio Billos, sailor extraordinaire, who was born in Venice, went on to fight against the Nazis in World War II and against Soviet tyranny during the Hungarian Revolution before immigrating to the USA. He married Rowena Robinson and adopted her young son, Bruce, which act created a bond between us forever.
Livio was Commodore of the Cooper River Yacht Club, for many decades lived on Cooper Avenue, and had many faithful Black Labrador Retriever family companios named “Cooper,” one of which still lives on Cooper Avenue (albeit now singing soprano).
Moreover, he was a role model to three generations of Coopers: me, one of the last of the Billos Boys, who blindly followed Livio’s lead; Ryan, who was instructed by his mother never to follow Livio’s lead (except the part about not pissing into the wind from the bow, which we once actually saw Bruce attempt); and my father, who cringed at every story of a Billos outing. He was grandfather to Rachel, Mariel, and Emily, with whom I hope the older generation will share such tales as instructional devices.
Livio spawned another new race--of hybrid hot peppers, which he proudly cultivated and grilled in his back yard, to be served with the famous Billos “killer sangria” (see Joe Sullivan’s memory at http://www.snovergivnish.com/obituaries/Bruce-Billos/#!/TributeWall). It was during these times that we would argue about the comparative influence of school instruction and home environment: he was sure that teachers such as myself at St. Mary’s Hall-Doane Academy had ruined Bruce forever, while I was pretty sure that it was whatever went on in the Billos household that had screwed up Bruce. We’ll have to see how Mariel turns out.
And so, I commend Livio Billos to the sea that he lived and loved, to meet again in the waters of the Danube and Bermuda. Sail on, Livio, Sail on!
I'm looking for a good time,
Sail on down the line….
