by Dan M.
Bill W. turned 70 in 1965, and those around him noted how much thinner he’d become. Nell Wing, Bill’s longtime secretary said, “His breathing had become worse from maybe 1966 or 1967 on. Each year, he progressively slowed down. The emphysema took hold, and he was still smoking.” He began using an inhaler and had to stop frequently to catch his breath. In February of 1969 he slid off the icy roof at Stepping Stones. Although not badly hurt, this began a faster decline. He seldom came to the office anymore and had pneumonia multiple times. However, around this time he successfully quit smoking, much to the amazement of some of those closest to him.
In 1970, he began to speak at the annual conference, as he always did. As Bob H. recounted, “He just stopped right in the middle of the sentence. And he just stood there for a little bit, and then he said, ‘I’m sorry. I can’t continue.’ And he went and sat down.” Bill was a great talker. The AA audience knew that if he couldn’t speak, his condition was serious.
Perhaps because of this, he was determined to speak at the International Convention in Miami on the Fourth of July weekend of that same year. He and Lois arrived early to give him time to rest, but before the convention even began, Bill was taken by ambulance to the Miami Heart Institute, run by his friend and AA member, Dr. Ed Bradley (“Dr. Ed”). It was clear that others would have to fill in for his duties at the convention. Most notably, Dr. Bernard Smith gave the major address that Bill was to have given. But on Sunday, at the closing ceremony, an ambulance delivered Bill to the stage door where he entered in a wheelchair, breathing with an oxygen tank. Twenty thousand surprised AA members stood and cheered, so moved they wouldn’t let him speak for five minutes. He only spoke for four minutes, but for that brief time he was the old Bill, reminding everyone how he had inspired so many. He then returned to the Heart Institute where he remained for the rest of the month.
When Bill and Lois returned to New York, they learned that Dr. Bernard Smith, who had just filled in for Bill, had died of a heart attack. Then Bill got pneumonia yet again. He was bedridden and on constant oxygen for the remaining months of 1970. In January of 1971, Dr. Ed felt that a new breathing apparatus at the Institute could help Bill. A friend charterd a plane to fly him to Miami with Lois, Nell, and Dr. Ed. Bill was hallucinating, seeing dead loved ones in the cabin. The group arrived in the late afternoon. By 8 pm, Lois and Nell, both exhausted, retired to their hotel rooms. At eleven-thirty, Bill died peacefully. It was January 24, his and Lois’s 53rd wedding anniversary. He was 75.
On January 26, Bill’s full name and picture appeared on the front page of the New York Times, and large memorials were held all around the world. Whether he would have wanted it or not, the primary force behind Alcoholics Anonymous was anonymous no longer.
More detail can be found in Pass It On — Bill Wilson and the AA Message, pp. 392-406, published by AA World Services. Quotes from Nell Wing and Bob H. are on pp. 397 and 398, respectively. Used with permission of AA World Service Inc. See also The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is Not Enough by William G. Borchert, pp. 321-327
Dan M.’s home group is Fremont Men’s Stag, which meets on Monday nights at 7:15 at Prince of Peace Church, 858 Washington Blvd and online: 187 927 449 pc: 774746