Dear Friends:

I realize that only a few of you might have known Bill Domler, but he was a prime mover in the "folk" world here in Connecticut. He started the Sounding Board Coffee House in Hartford nearly 30 years ago, left that for his father and mother (Len and Fran Domler) to keep going while he started the Roaring Brook club and concert series, then he began the Glastonbury Audubon Center series. Bill had a small printing shop where he also sold folk CDs for awhile.

Well, Bill fell outside of his place of business about ten days ago, suffering massive brain damage. They kept him alive on a respirator, tubes, etc., but he never regained consciousness and did not respond to any stimuli after the injury. The neurosurgeons assured the family that the damage was so great they were certain Bill would never come back from his vegetative state. The family talked it over with Trina, his partner, and last night (Sunday) they decided to take him off of the life support systems that were sustaining him, leaving just some tubes providing liquid and a morphine drip.

Bill lasted less than twenty-four hours. He died this afternoon (Monday) at 3:20, as quickly and as quietly as the family had prayed that he might. I give the family a lot of credit for having had the love and the courage to do what was clearly the right thing. Bill would not have wanted it any other way, I'm sure. He was only 53 years old.

There will be a memorial gathering sometime later in the month, and there may also be a benefit concert to raise funds to help meet part of his medical indebtedness. I will try to keep you informed.

Sandy Paton