PassPorter.com Feature Article
Original article at: http://www.passporter.com/articles/remembering-bill-myers-lizardcop.html

Remembering Bill Myers, Our Bagman and LizardCop: A Tribute to a Fallen Hero and Longtime PassPorter Guide

by Jennifer Marx, PassPorter Guidebooks Author
Last modified 09-23-2015

"To Help Others."

Those were the first words Bill said to me. I first came to know Bill Myers back in 2003 when he became a PassPorter reader. Little did I know that this man would become an integral part of PassPorter just one year later. In 2004, he applied to become a PassPorter Guide, one of our volunteers who makes our message board community a warm, welcoming, and helpful place. When asked why he wanted to become a Guide, he said quite succinctly, "To Help Others." I think that very neatly sums up Bill.

Bill, or LizardCop as he was known in the PassPorter community, was the PassPorter Guide for the Space Coast forum, The Darkroom forum (photography), The Library forum (books), The Back Fence forum (chat), The Driveway forum (testing grounds), and The Garage forum (technical support). His 12 years in our community resulted in countless friendships, advice, and help of one kind or another. He touched so many lives, from something as simple as solving a tech problem, to being the "Bagman" who held his PassPorter friends' bags so they could go on thrill rides at the Disney parks. I saw Bill many times over the years at various PassPorter and MouseFest meets, and he always had a warm smile and helping hand to give.

And it will come as no surprise that Bill was a passionate Disney fan. Like so many others, he began by watching The Mickey Mouse Club, and was one of many young males to have a crush on Annette! He first visited Disneyland, twice in 1970. In 1985, he discovered Walt Disney World, and he's been visiting the World regularly -- at least once a year -- since 1999. He claimed to be a sufferer of “the Peter Pan Syndrome”, as in he refused to grow up! His enthusiasm and delight for the magic of Disney was evident in everything he did in our community.

Bill was also an avid photographer, as can be seen by the many photos he contributed to the PassPorter community. Bill's photos appear throughout PassPorter guidebooks. He also enjoyed taking wildlife and sunset photos, and shared them regularly on Facebook. Many of us in the PassPorter community turned to Bill when we had tricky photo issues or strategies to work out before a visit to the World. He also wrote two PassPorter articles on photography--Fireworks Photo Ops: Tips for Taking Great Fireworks Photos and Managing Memories: Digital Camera Memory and Storage Options--for all to read. One of my favorite photos is of his granddaughter, Abby, having a little picnic with Chip and Dale.

Beyond PassPorter and Disney, Bill was a retired Air Force Air Traffic Controller and a deputy sheriff, where he showed yet again his dedication to helping others. He had retired from full-time work as a deputy sheriff, but at the start of this year returned to do part-time work so he could take his granddaughter to Walt Disney World. From everything I've read from his co-workers and colleagues, he was a well-respected and well-liked member of the law enforcement family. Tragically, he was lost in the line of duty on Tuesday, September 22.

Bill helped others so much that now others want to help his family get to Walt Disney World. A GoFundMe campaign has been established and has already raised over $15,000 in the first 22 hours. Our thoughts are with his family and I hope they do go to Disney World to celebrate his remarkable life together.

And to commemorate the enormous contributions he made to the PassPorter community, we are dedicating the upcoming 2016 edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World to Bill. The edition features several of his beautiful Disney photographs as well.

Bill Myers may have taken his last Disney and sunset photos, but his memory will live on PassPorter.com through his many photos and contributions to our community. His 22,000+ posts remain here on the PassPorter community for all to read, as do his 300+ photos. He will be forever in our hearts.

Please feel free to leave a comment below with your memories of Bill.

About the Author: Jennifer is the co-founder of PassPorter.com and author of many PassPorter books.

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Updated 09-23-2015

Check for a more updated version at http://www.passporter.com/articles/remembering-bill-myers-lizardcop.html