A Nice Guy

Billy Raincock was born June 28, 1921 in Oliver, B.C. He grew up and went to school in Oliver. Billy’s father Billy Raincock and mother Lillian ran a butcher shop on Main Street and I imagine young Billy did his share of work. Billy had two brothers Ken and Herb (he died at 19 from an infection) and sisters June and Yvonne.

I always knew Billy as he was a friend of my Dad’s but I really got to know him when I worked at the Legion. Billy would come in and order one beer and come and sit at the table right beside my stool at the bar. If it was quiet, I would get a coffee and sit with him at the table or we would go and shoot some pool. He was teaching me a few tricks of the trade so I could try and beat my Dad who was a pretty awesome pool player as was Billy.

I am not sure what year Billy joined the Army but I know that he served overseas during World War Two and was there until the war ended in 1945.

I remember every Armistice Day after the men marched from the Cenotaph and made their way to the Legion for their free hot rum. Some of the men would be boasting about what they did during the War but not Billy. He never said a word about what horrors he saw or what he had to do to survive.

I remember once him telling me that the Italians were really great people and when they drove through Italy after it was liberated, the women came running up to the vehicles with bottles of wine and loaves of fresh bread…he kind of chuckled at that memory and said the wine was pretty good and the bread was nothing short of excellent. He said that he broke a loaf in half and poured some wine over it and shoved it in his mouth…the other half he just ate plain and wished he could go back for another loaf. But not to worry because as they kept driving up the boot, the Italians came out and showered them with bread, wine, salami and other meat, cheeses of all kinds and even a couple of live chickens made their way onto the truck!!

After the war was over, Billy came home and he and Mary raised a family. Billy went to work for West Kootenay Power and Light. He was a lifelong employee. Billy and Mary lived about two blocks away from where I grew up and sometimes walking home from school, I would see him in the yard. He always came over to say hello and to ask after Mom and Dad.

For the most part, Billy was pretty quiet. He had a great smile and a quiet laugh and was always friendly. He possessed the quiet assurance of a real man. He didn’t have to prove himself to anyone and never tried. He was polite to all he met and talked to and was respectful to everyone. He had a great sense of humour but I never heard him tell a dirty joke in front of a woman. The jokes he told us were pretty funny and very clean!

I can still see his ruddy complexion and bright blue eyes twinkling and his cheerful smile. The Quiet Man…that was the Billy Raincock that I knew and loved. I was very upset and sad when I heard Billy had passed away. He died Mar 7, 1983 after suffering a fall. I wasn’t at the Legion anymore but made a special trip down the next morning and those of us who were there held our own little ceremony in memory of Billy. Plainly put – Billy was a nice guy.