CVMA

The Trail Never Ends

A Tribute To Bill Foot By Barb Franz, Editor CVMA News Letter

The phone rang on Monday, May 22nd and the news came of the passing of one of our C.V.M.A. members Bill Foot. As many of you know Bill has been battling cancer for the last 15 months and giving it the fight of his life. Bill was a mover and a shaker with everything he did and continued his enthusiasm up to the very last day. I wish each of you could have attended the memorial service held at First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, May 19th. As we sat in the back of the church it was very evident how many lives Bill Foot had touched. The church was packed. As I listened to the pastor talk of BillÕs life and his commitment to his family, friends, church, and community I realized that Bill was the kind of person who never met a stranger and that no matter how much time one had to meet him, he did make an influence on our lives.

My most wonderful memory of Bill is that he really enjoy the homemade goodies I prepared at each of our monthly meetings. It was always a pleasure to see him and Laurie on these occasions. Bill was instrumental in laying out and working on the Blackwater Creek trail. In the e-mail that came from BillÕs family on the 20th it reported that even on the way to the hospital Bill had to Ògo by the trail project to check on its progress.Ó He has also been very involved in the new trail system being worked on at Peaksview Park. His expertise in laying out trails and being ever conscious of nature and the environment has been a great asset to not only the Central Virginia Mountain Bike Association but to the other groups he was involved with Laurie told me at the visitation that she was so glad they had taken early retirement and had had the opportunity to travel around the world. The slides that they have shared with the C.V.M.A. on several occasions are from places that the majority of us will only see through their eyes or in magazines.

I truly believe that things happen for reasons and that life had a path for Bill and Laurie Foot over the last few years. Their lives and travels have not only affected them but have effected everyone they have come in contact with. Each of us has our own individual path to travel and the quality of our lives is what we make it. The path that Bill Foot took was one of sharing and caring about others and the world around him. To BillÕs family we offer our sympathies and our thanks for allowing us to have been a part of his life. He will be greatly missed.