In Memory of Bill Di Lunardi
1962-2004
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For about two years, I would start my day at Court House News on Main Street. Iced-tea with lemon and a buttered role. That was my routine.
Still half asleep, I would hear Bill shout my name from the far end of the narrow, crowded shop where he prepared countless breakfasts orders. I can’t remember introducing myself and, for the longest time, I wondered why he would take the time to remember my name. After all, I was just another customer.
Turns out, as the weeks went on, I noticed Bill said hi to everyone, - by name. Bill made it a point to learn the names of his customers,- what they did, where they came from, what their interests were. Bill served hundreds of customers.
Over the next several months, we became friends. Eventually, I introduced him to other people in my office. He remembered their names too. If someone didn’t come in with me as usual, Bill would notice and ask about them.
It dawned on me that Bill’s success was due in no small part to his ability to interact with people and connect with them. Throughout his three shops on Main Street, I saw photographs of Bill with such notables as Governor George Pataki, President Bill Clinton, and Gary Busey, to name a few. Aside from being an accomplished entrepreneur, Bill was also a distinguished photographer and was frequently asked to photograph high profile functions.
Bill got to know everyone. He went out of his way to make people feel comfortable, appreciated, even loved. After a year or so, when I would stop by the shop, he’d pull the cigarette out of his mouth, wrap his arm around my neck and hug me. Always interested in what was happening, we’d chat for a while before some emergency would pull him back to one of his three businesses.
Three businesses! Shoulder to shoulder with Eleanor, his mother and several employees, the adjacent shops were always teeming with activity. Swarms of customers, deliveries, and phone calls. Even though he was constantly plagued with dozens of responsibilities, he always took the time to ask about me and the people in my life, as he did with so many others.
Last summer, Bill and Eleanor hosted a few get-togethers at their place on Main Street. One time Bill rolled his bar-b-que grill out front and started grilling on the sidewalk. He always thought Main Street could use some night life, so he made some. One person stopped by, then another and before long, we had a party and everyone was invited. Bill was very inclusive. Later that summer, we had a few more. Each one a little more elaborate. Truly memorable. Just last week, we talked about having another one.
While I can’t claim to have been one of Bill’s closer friends, I can say that in the short time that that I knew him, he inspired me. He showed me what was possible with determination, hard work and vision.
Bill had vision. He had plans, not just for his family business, but for the Main Street business community as a whole. He had grand ideas of what Main Street could be. He talked about what businesses would do well on the strip and what people would enjoy. He had ideas about expansion and community involvement. In fact, he received numerous accolades in the press for promoting a downtown revitalization, including
an award from the New Jersey Small Business Development Center.
In many ways, Bill embodied the idea of "community". As ambitious and self-motivated as he was, he always had time for others. He fostered a sense of community and belonging that seems hard to come by these days. I wish I told him this.
The circumstances surrounding Bill’s sudden passing aren’t clear. What is clear is that he will be sorely missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him,- even briefly.
We extend our deepest condolences to the Di Lunardi Family and pray for them in this time of grief.
Albert Dib
