Woodstock, Vermont

A celebration of the life of William F. " Bill " Birmingham was held at the Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Woodstock, on Friday, January 31, 2020 with the Rev. Dr. Leon Dunkley.

Bill was born in Woodstock, Vt on February 22, 1951 to Donald and Mary (Kellogg) Birmingham. He was raised from a young age by Mary and John Marble Birmingham, Sr. on Eaton Place in Woodstock, along with his sisters Carol, Donna, Bonnie, and brother, John, Jr. He was preceded in death by his mother Mary, his sister Donna (Ron) Kinley, and his brother-in-law Stephen (Bonnie) Carr.

Bill was married to Sheila Cole on July 26, 1987 and together they raised their daughter, Emma Mary and their son, Adam John in a home Bill meticulously built at the base of Mt. Tom. He and Emma shared his love of music and talented artwork, while Adam shared his enthusiasm for sports and woodworking.

Bill was an extraordinary builder with an eye for detail that rivaled many. He honed his skills while employed by Jaynes & Berge and then A.W. Frizzell, both of Woodstock. There are many homes in and around the greater community where his cabinetry skills came into play.

Bill was a self-taught musician. While living in a tiny cabin in the early 1970s he made his first dulcimer - entirely by hand-without electricity. He went on to craft a total of 78 for family, friends, and

collectors. He and four Woodstock childhood friends (Alec and Duncan Hastings, Freddie Doubleday, and Dick Tracy) went on to compose and record an album of dulcimers, guitar, and pennywhistle. They continued to meet spontaneously to play music for the rest of their lives.

Outside of his family, Bill ' s true joy was mountain biking – sometimes he and Sheila, sometimes with his son Adam, sometimes with David and Diane Doubleday and Alec and Denise Hastings. Until he was no longer able, Bill rode solo every day, for miles and miles over the hills and back roads he loved so much. He once had an experience that moved him to his core: He had descended a hilltop and was coming down a dirt road, when out of nowhere, a hawk appeared beside him. It flew on his right for several hundred feet, as if they were one, sharing the wind. That instance where Bill was at one with the natural world he respected and loved stayed with him.

Bill is survived by his wife Sheila Cole Birmingham, daughter Emma Mary Birmingham, son Adam John Birmingham as well as his dad John Birmingham, Sr. and mother-in-law, Millie Cole. He is also survived by his siblings, Carol (Nelson) Lamson, Bonnie Carr, and John Birmingham, Jr. Seven brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive him, as do his close, lifelong friends. He shall be forever missed.

The family was assisted by the Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock. An on line guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com