EUROTRASH = William Lamayer

Wil and I were good friends here in Portsmouth NH. Both of us were raised here in New England. We would meet frequently for dinner. In person, he was everything described by Said and others here in this thread - never said an unkind thing about anyone, was pensive and thoughtful before speaking, and possessed a very unique sense of humor. He was a tall and very big boy! When we greeted each other, a firm handshake would be followed by a warm bear hug which always seemed a bit awkward. It was like Don Rickles embracing Lurch from The Adams Family.

He was a bond trader in Tokyo, retired early in life, and pretty much lived off his assets acquired during his career and but still dabbled in the markets like all of us do. I remember his lovely wife from Japan once looked at me with this wry smile and quipped, “Wil needs to find a new job and get back to work.” But he didn’t miss the stress and was at peace just living idly and quietly. He got tired piddling around with home/yard maintenance, so he sold his homestead in Exeter, NH, and bought a condo in downtown Portsmouth where he could walk his dog every day and enjoy the many nocturnal opportunities for fine wining & dining here on the seacoast. He was so proud of his kids and loved to brag on them. They all graduated with honors from several notable US colleges.

Whenever we got together for dinner, we would spend only the first 5 minutes or so talking Berkshire or other trades “du jour” and then devote the rest of the evening talking about anything else but investing. He had an insatiable interest in aviation, so we would venture off in that direction. Or maybe discuss soil fertilization, ph levels, and the challenges of trying to get my damn Hydrangeas to bloom after an unusual winter. He used to needle me in a kind and comical way about my horrible position in USG, but would offer faint praise for scooping up a bunch of WFC during and after the Great Recession, which I subsequently dumped. He said I had more “cajones” than him but acknowledged that the trade was “well played.” He could have fun with me like that because he knew that in my heart of hearts, I was mostly a buy and hold kinda guy with BRK, and would only sparingly coat-tail a couple picks now and then from Buffett.

I miss him dearly. RIP, my good friend…

brewittfuneralhome.com - William A Lameyer