Bill Mesmer was our friend and this is my tribute to him. I hope those that read this will understand him and what he meant to us. The NHL lost a great hockey fan.
For those that don’t know what makes a real true hockey fan, William “Bill” Mesmer was the elite 7th man known to the sport. He never wavered or complained about anything when it came to cheering on his New Jersey Devils with his fellow Devils fans. Bill Mesmer passed away in his home in Wilkes Barre, PA around noon time on January 8, 2008. He was supposed to attend the Devils/Buffalo game that night but he never made it. He was 27. A true “die hard” and many Devils fans knew of him, but not the real Mesmer, as we call him. But fortunately for me, I befriended him and I can tell you who he really was and what he meant to me.
The thing that I remember most about Mesmer was his passion for hockey and he never let off the gas pedal. We would talk for hours about the Devils and as fans; we sat near each other in Section 218 of the old CAA. He had season tickets and when he could not afford them, we would always try to help out and get him to watch the game with us. He battled the hard winters by driving from his home in PA and drove all the way out to East Rutherford to see the Devils play. For those that don’t know, that was nearly a six hour round trip from what I recall. I know the stress of that trip because I did that when I attended Penn State in Happy Valley while having season tickets. Because of that, we could relate to each other and he was very loyal to me.
Mesmer supported me as a friend and all of the things we did as Devils fans. Many remember me for doing the impossible by wearing my Martin Brodeur goalie pads into MSG for a Devils Rangers game. I always get credit for that infamous photo in Ranger country, but in reality, it was Mesmer that made it happen. The time and effort that went into making sure we were able to pull it off paid off. He always wanted to be involved whether it was sneaking in beach balls or anything into the old CAA(remember folks, they never let us have any fun). He was extremely loyal to me through the good or bad times. But I got to see the side about him that few did see in him.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801070323
I am hoping that maybe someone reading this tribute would at least adopt one cat because last Monday, I actually thought about him. There was an animal shelter in Sparta about to be shut down and all of the cats will be put to sleep this Friday if they are not adopted. The first thing that came into my mind was, “(bleep), don’t let Mesmer see that news article. He would adopt every single one of those cats and he had plenty of animals already.” He was a sucker for animals and rescued them. He admitted to me once it was overwhelming to have that many cats in his house, but “oh well”, he said. Deep down inside, he was a very sensitive person. Trust me; he had a heart of gold. Not many people got to see that, but I did. What I am going to say is very personal, but I hope we can remember Mesmer’s life the person he really was.
For Thanksgiving weekend on Black Friday in 2006, I decided to grab some Boston Market and go visit him in his home in PA. It was a long trip, but I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with him because he really did not have a family. Sad, but I went there because he was my friend and wanted to have a good hearty meal with his company. Afterwards, I felt like I got to know him more than just a rabid Devils fan. Here is an amazing human being that was able to lead a normal life and was just like everyone else. And during a conversation one night, he opened up to me.
“I don’t let things bother me anymore.”
Even though he had to deal with a lot of crap in his life that was out of his control, Mesmer lived life to the fullest and he showed me how by example. To me, he was not some guy in a wheelchair. He was just an everyday guy that was a true Devils fan. He never felt sorry for himself and nothing could make him waver. He was a fighter and boy was he ever. His resiliency was unmatched and made each day of his life count. He would never tell many people this and for some odd reason, he would never want people to know the real and good person he was. But I want the whole world know now he was a good man. I don’t take anything for granted anymore in my life because Mesmer showed me what was important. Believing in you and the power of forgiveness.
My friend Durango Steve once bought him a new wheelchair he needed for Christmas. Not because we felt sorry for him, but because he was an inspiration to us. Mesmer would have done the same if our lives were switched. That is why we should honor him because he really did care about everyone. He was more than just a Devils fan to us.
I will be hanging a Mesmer #13 jersey banner in my section, like one that resembles Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko, for the rest of the season. Moreover, I feel very strongly about this because he was one of the greatest Devils fans ever.
Rest in Peace Bill Mesmer: Life is a journey and you meet so many different people along the way. They touch our lives and when they go away forever, don’t be sad. Be thankful that God blessed us with this person that makes our journey through life great and wonderful. Thank you for being part of ours buddy and you will always be family to us.
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