# RIP "Uncle Bill" Mertz,on your final Grand Trip



## btt (Jul 15, 2006)

Just found out that Bill Mertz,of Grand Junction,Colo passed at his home due to heart attack.He was a familiar face on all the major rivers of the West,but especially had a soft spot in his heart for the "hometown" run of Westwater,the Grand,and the Salmon.

He was a volunteer Ranger for many years at Westwater.He bought his beautiful,bright yellow 19' Hyside bucket boat new in 1993,and it would be a fixture on all the western rivers for the next 20 years,until the trip mileage turned the exterior snow white in color---still holds air for days to this day---a ready-to-go-anytime tribute to Bills love of water.

You always knew Bill would be an asset on any trip---his hard work ethic,laughter,logic,and stories will be sorely missed.I hope other folks will have clearer photos of him(he's sitting on the white pad,below Skull),and other stories to share---this is the last trip i had the privilege to take with him on his beloved Westwater 8/14/11.

A service will be held for him at Mesa Funeral Services 2825 North Ave Grand Junction,Colo---(970)-243-9999,at 6pm,on Sunday Jan 13th,2013.

If you cant attend,please share your "Uncle/Mr. Bill" stories/photos here,and let the family know what he meant in the river community.

thanx


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi btt,

Thanks for posting that -- although it's sad to hear.

I worked with Bill at WW, boated with him, and shared a lot of time just sitting around telling river stories and other lies. A thoroughly enjoyable guy, who will be sorely missed.

My condolences to his family.

Rich Phillips


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

Thanks for posting that BTT. Boated with Bill a time or two also and always enjoyed his company. He was a good man, personable, sincere and easy to be around. May he RIP.


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## BLM_Moab (Feb 25, 2011)

*Bill will be missed!!*

Fortunately I had the opportunity to enjoy Bill and his yellow 'behemoth boat' on a number of Westwater trips and two Grand Canyon adventures over the years. I will never forget assisting him while he shaved his head in the Lee's Ferry bathroom, his red clown nose that he would attach above Crystal, canned meat, body bags and P38s or a variety of other adventures including 'I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay'. 
A truly unique and special person!! Bill will be missed by many - although stories of his antics will continue. Thanks to him for the good memories and the insightful lessons. 
My condolences to all of his family and my thoughts of comfort and peace for them in his absence.


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

RIP Bill. You lived big.

Can't believe he is gone. 
Can't believe he still had that monster yellow bucket boat.

And Jen I remember him shaving his head at the put in.
And the big smile when he came out with his head shining.

Its been a few years since I saw him but there were many river miles and smiles shared.


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Looked at river photos of many trips with Bill, a Selway, a couple Grands and too many Westwaters. He always had a smile on his face. Unfortunetly all the photos were pre-digital. Anyone have any recent photos? We need to do a Memorial Westwater trip for his river buddies.


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## DangerousDave (Apr 11, 2007)

I ran the Grand with Bill in 2009. He was one of the most fun people to boat with that I have ever met just a genuinely nice guy and a huge asset to our trip. I still remember the all important river signal for "I'm okay. I have no pants. Go get my boat" that Bill taught us above Lava. He will be missed.

I have pics that I can dig up at home. I'll be sure to post some.


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## benpetri (Jul 2, 2004)

*RIP Bill*

This is very sad.  He was "Waver" on Mountainbuzz. I had the good fortune to boat with Bill a few times, most notably a December Grand Trip back in 2005. He was quite a riot on that trip, very knowledgeable and a real asset. I was TL and it was my first trip, and he seemed to know every last nook and cranny of the place.

One memory that stands out was his love of the trash fire, much to the chagrin of the younger environmentally minded trip participants. Each night in camp a large fire would be stoked while Bill would ceremonially incinerate the days garbage. Ostensibly this was done in the name of "volume reduction" but Bill clearly looked forward to it. Paper, plastic, aerosol cans, he didn't care, it all went in. He would sometimes sing a song: "It's garbage night! It's garbage night! Tonight's the night we light the light!" A black plume of smoke billow out over camp while the enviros looked on in horror. 

A couple of photos from that trip: Bill with Don and Tara on Tequila Beach after surfing a hole in Lava. The rest of that day is gone from my memory courtesy of that bottle Bookers he's holding. Bill with the crew at the end of the trip.

Bill will be missed!


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

Rich said:


> Looked at river photos of many trips with Bill, a Selway, a couple Grands and too many Westwaters. He always had a smile on his face. Unfortunetly all the photos were pre-digital. Anyone have any recent photos? We need to do a Memorial Westwater trip for his river buddies.


I''d love to be included on the Westwater Memorial Trip to celebrate the fun-loving, kind, generous person that I remember Bill to be. 

Graci


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## MSW9 (May 1, 2008)

You will be missed Bill. Rest In Peace.


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## Bamfsk (Mar 3, 2009)

I have never run with Mertz but I have run and still run with his good friends Capt. Bill and Uncle Don and the rest of the crew here in steamboat and beyond and have heard many stories. I'm sure we will have a party in his honor on this years Ides of March westwater. Row On Mertz


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## YakH2O (May 25, 2006)

I was with Bill on the same Grand trip as Ben and I can still picture his 18-foot raft getting surfed like a matchstick a giant hole in Lava, the broken oar that resulted from this little misadventure, the tweaked frame and Bill's HUGE smile for having spent "quality time" in that hole. He was quite a character with a deep love for the river and it is great to see many of us remember him fondly. Somehow, Uncle Bill is still with us!


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## DangerousDave (Apr 11, 2007)

*Grand Canyon 2009*


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## ChrisMertz92 (Apr 5, 2013)

*Uncle Bill*

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I signed up after running across this page after trying to google my family name. I never met Bill, but from what I know, he's my dad Marks brother. It upset me to see him go and to find out while browsing the interneet but I'm glad to see so many people had good things to say about him. His dad, my grandfather, was actually the Fire chief of Washington, D.C. during Nixons presidency, and though I never met either of them, I'm glad I'm related to them. It seems here he was a good man. And although we never formally met, he really was and always will be Uncle Bill to me. If anybody knows his family out in Grand Junction, I'd really like to get in contact with them. If so just contact me! Thanks


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## btt (Jul 15, 2006)

*sent a pm to you*

with hopefully local contact info for you.im in the process of retrofitting Bills monster 19' white (Moby Dick) Hyside bucket boat,to a self bailer,in his honor.if it doesnt reappear for a june ladore,due to crew change,you will definitely see it out on other rivers as a tribute!!!Bill was just the first generation owner on this river icon----its still got many stories to tell,and miles to float.......miss you ,Uncle Bill---all the rivers seem a little less funny,now.


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## ChrisMertz92 (Apr 5, 2013)

I'd really like to see that someday! It's good to know Uncle Bill lived a full life of adventure on the waters!! I hope someday I can meet up with the rest of the family and go check out the waters up there. I always loved GJ, very cool place!


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## soaperloper (May 1, 2013)

*Uncle Bill Mertz,*

Uncle Bill Mertz; or "Ranger Danger!" 
Who was sent here to weed out the WEAK!! you will be missed! You oozzed knowledge and lived life large!! I have sooo many fond memories and amazing quotes!! I feel so lucky to have known you, you "scally-wegin' skinny-rope throwin', egg-tossing, SOAP Sippin', whiskey gargling, condor pointing, Son of a bitch! I am happy to know that you "won't be far or sober." Thank you for making my (and anyone who EVER traveled with you) Grand Canyon trip memorable!! 
Love,
Soaper-Loper


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## soaperloper (May 1, 2013)

*Uncle Bill; So many good stories...*

Gotta say, I am sad to think that I will never again be woken up by Uncle Bill peeing on my life jacket or floating a sleeping meander down the eddy, or throwing a beer at my head yelling catch while still tucked tightly in my sleeping bag. You are are true river Rogue.


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

I only met Bill once, but I have a story about him! My buddy Ben (see above) had met him on his first Grand Canyon trip and invited him to run Westwater with our group in 2006. It was my first Westwater trip, and a memorable one for many reasons, including Bill (Westwater trips always seem to be memorable...). It was Bill's 60 somethingth trip down Westwater that season. We began to call our buddy Ben, Bill Jr. because he was clearly enamored with the rafting lifestyle and learning the tricks of the trade from Bill.

We had a solid party that night at camp and I woke up in the middle of the night with a screaming headache. At first I didn't know what to do, but then I had a vision of this giant med kit packed on Ben's raft and figured there'd surely be something in there to save me. So, I stumbled over to the rafts with my headlamp, walked by some guy puking under a log, and located the med kit and began pulling it out of Ben's raft. 

Bill apparently always sleeps in his raft, which was tied up adjacent to Ben's. I might also add that Bill was a rather large, somewhat imposing man. Well, as I flicked open the med kit, Bill's entire massive figure bolted straight upright! He began shifting his head back and forth making loud grunting noises. I froze like a deer in the highlights and flicked off my headlamp. I don't really know this guy, but I worried I'd just triggered a Vietnam flashback or something. After a number of very long seconds, his grunting dissipated and he slowly settled back down on his pad and laid down. I very gingerly and quietly fished out some ibuprofen, replaced the med kit, and slinked away.

What a character. I'm sorry to hear about his passing. He certainly seemed to be a guy who lived life on his own terms. Here's a photo of him from that trip.


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## lilbillm (Mar 15, 2013)

*Uncle Bills last Grand Canyon trip pt1*

this is a short intro video on Uncle Bills last grand trip.Friends drove part of his ashes back to the Navajo Bridge----sorry it took so long.


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