The obituary notice of William Henry Mbe THOMPSON

I remember Billy's encouragement when I joined the Huddersfield Referees' Society as a young seventeen year old in 1964 and have fond memories of officiating with him. I recall going to the first two senior matches that he refereed at Dewsbury and Batley in August 1966. It was good to catch up with him at Craven Park when he refereed there and I had moved to teach in Barrow-in-Furness. May Billy rest in peace.

To Joan and family I offer my heartfelt condolences. I'm so very sad to hear of Billy's passing.

He was such a good friend to my Dad, Frank Stead, and a great support to him after my mother, Esther, passed away in 2006. Billy and Frank became friends at David Brown Tractors in Meltham, way back. Together with Mick Wilson, who was a senior manager at David Brown's at the time, they would spend hours discussing rugby, Fartown and Giants. Always peppered with a lot of humour and philosophy. I wonder why they never made a TV comedy about them - they were the rugby equivalent of Last of the Summer Wine.
You were never short of a laugh with Billy - even at my mother's funeral, where he regaled us with tales of life, humanity and rugby; he lifted our spirits. Nobody could lift a room quite like he did. He came with Dad to stay with me and my family in Newcastle, and gave an after dinner speech at Northern Rugby Club; he had them in the palm of his hands.

I feel I have lost a good person, a gem, now that Billy is no longer in the world, and I'm sure the world is a poorer place today. However, I am lucky to have happy memories of times with Billy. I hope Joan and his lovely family can have comfort from their treasure of fabulous memories in their time of grief.

I send them my very best wishes.

R I P Billy

Your natural humour was a joy to behold.
Be it a few round the bar, or a room full of hundreds.
You could charm them all.

Great Bloke, Great company, Greatly missed.

Mick Shore.