Swim instructor Kurt Billing dies at 47 By Brendan O'Reilly
Kurt Hilding Billing, a fixture in Southampton who gave swimming lessons at Big Fresh Pond, Wyandanch Beach and in backyard pools to hundreds--perhaps thousands--of local children over the years, took his own life on February 3 at his home in North Sea. He was 47.
Mr. Billing suffered from Lyme disease for the past 10 years, the symptoms of which include depression and confusion. He had been symptom free for years, but late last fall he had a relapse, his family said.
Born on January 24, 1962, Mr. Billing was known by many as ``Nature,'' a nickname picked up during his high school years that followed him throughout life. He graduated from Southampton High School in 1980 and went on to earn a business degree from the University of Richmond in Virginia.
After college, Mr. Billing spent a couple years traveling the country and did a stint as a computer salesman in Washington. When he returned home to Southampton in 1986, he took over the family swimming instruction business from his sister, Donna Billing, who had taken it over from their mother, Florence, who started it more than 40 years ago. Florence Binning passed the business to her children so she could open four women's clothing stores--Billing's Lingerie Shop, Billing's Country Shop, Billing's Bridal Salon and Lady Billing, all in Southampton Village--which Mr. Billing helped manage.
Mr. Billing learned to swim while tagging along at his mother's swimming classes. He could swim all the way across Big Fresh Pond when he was just 6 years old, his sister, Diane McGann, recalled on Monday.
``You could tell it was a passion, and he was just good at it,'' Ms. McGann said. ``He knew how to read a student, and he knew just how far to push to get results. ... It built up their self-esteem.''
Most of the swimming classes were held at the same Billing-family lake-front property on Big Fresh Pond where his mother had first given lessons.
``He was a strong believer in teaching at the lake,'' Ms. McGann said. She explained that he wanted new swimmers to learn to be comfortable swimming long distances in open water.
``He was more than a `swim instructor.''' Donna Billing's husband, Alex Oliva, said. ``He took it to the highest degree.''
Mr. Billing's catch phrase was ``Keep up the good work,'' and he didn't just say it to his students. Ms. Billing said he would say that to her every time he got off the telephone with her.
Their brother had a ``big kid'' personality, which he got from their late father, Hilding ``Hank'' Kurt Billing, the sisters said.
``He had this huge enthusiasm and excitement for life,'' Ms. Billing said of her brother. She said every outing with Mr. Billing, whether it be hiking or ice skating, was a grand event. ``He just made it like the biggest adventure in the world,'' she said.
Mr. Billing had a passion for travel. He has been to all 50 states, South Africa, Australia, Nepal and the Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, where he visited distant relatives. He was also an avid photographer and documented his journeys. ``He has a huge collection of slides,'' Ms. Billing said.
Mr. Billing was also a preservationist. He got his start at 24 years old, when he took out a $25,000 personal loan to help preserve an $85,000 1-acre parcel on Big Fresh Pond that he brought to the attention of the Peconic Land Trust.
``That was really inspiring for a young person to devote that kind of money,'' Peconic Land Trust President John v.H. Halsey said Monday.
Mr. Billing became a member of the Peconic Land Trust's stewardship committee and fought to preserve Tuckahoe Woods in North Sea.
``He knew that part of North Sea like the back of his hand,'' Mr. Halsey said. ``He spent a lot of time as a boy running through those woods.''
On top of swimming lessons and his traveling, Mr. Billing was a caddy at National Golf Links of America in Southampton, a motocross rider and a volunteer forest-fire fighter.
According to his family, Mr. Billing bought a home in Oregon two years ago, with plans to start a business as a trail guide when he wasn't in Southampton giving swimming lessons. Many of Mr. Billing's plans had been put on hold though, so he could care for his mother, who had a stroke in January 2007.
Mr. Billing is survived by his four sisters, Donna Billing and husband Alex Oliva of Delray Beach, Florida; Diane McGann and husband Anthony McGann of Port Washington; Lin White and husband William White of Southampton; and Lorri Billing and husband Joseph Walker of Southampton. He is also survived by his mother, Florence, and his nieces and nephews, Joseph, Morgan, Ashley, Brittan, Sandro, Elizabeth and Katherine.
A wake was held on Friday, February 6, at Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton. A funeral service was held the next day at Southampton United Methodist Church, followed by interment at Southampton Cemetery.
Letters of condolence may be sent to Kurt Billing Remembered, 101 Big Fresh Pond Road, Southampton, New York 11968. A memorial website is located at kurtbilling.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family said it would appreciate donations in Mr. Billing's memory to Peconic Land Trust, 296 Hampton Road, P.O. Box 1776, Southampton, New York 11969, peconiclandtrust.org, or to Lyme disease research. Last Updated Feb 9, 09 6:59 PM
It sounds like he was the kind of man that the world needs more of.
Posted by lymielauren28 (Member # 13742) on :
I second Lou...what a shame.
Lauren
Posted by eric555 (Member # 18343) on :
oyyyyyy, this is no good...
i just hope he went peacefully.
Posted by aiden424 (Member # 7633) on :
So sorry to hear this!! What a shame. I hope he's found peace.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
REST IN PEACE KURT BILLING!
wow, kurt, what a legacy you left for your family! i so enjoyed reading your interesting life of being on the go everywhere but also on preserving the LAND.
my heartfelt sympathies to your family kurt! you could tell how much they loved you from all the interesting things in your obituary, etc.
i'm so sorry you suffered with chronic lyme disease and/or co-infections like the rest of us.
your obituary is the 2nd i'm reading today of also another 47 yr. old woman with long-time lyme!
please keep cheering us all on to get into our lyme remissions but most importantly, that we can get:
.. CONGRESS to pass our lyme bills,
.. cdc to recoginize the wrong they did by accepting IDSA's flawed 06 guidelines with "conflicts on interest", and
.. for us to get health insurance companies to pay THEIR FAIR SHARE like they do for cancer and hiv/aids patients!
i never knew you personally, but kurt, you're my kind of guy! RIP KURT! Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
i was so impressed by this touching tribute obituary, i just emailed his family with the email shown above. it took me to his site showing some photos and WHERE IS KURT? comments, photos, and where he was, etc.
you could then email from that point!
i hope others like me who did NOT know him will just write a few lines from us, the lyme community! thanks all and melanie for posting.
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Augh, this is depressing....
Posted by lymeparfait (Member # 14268) on :
My heart goes out to Kurt's friends and family!
We are a family of swimmers, and we are a family
with lyme.
Our prayers are with his family and pray his story
will open the eyes of others and save lives.
Lymeparfait
Posted by DaveNJ (Member # 17362) on :
Wow...i certainly feel for his family and selfishly this story scares the cr@p out of me.
Dave
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
quote:Originally posted by GIGI: Why do you need to post these sad news in medical. It doesn't help anybody one iota. It does the opposite by creating more negative biochemical reactions because that is what these type messages do. We all are aware that the world has a problem with Lyme and don't need more of it every morning when we are trying to clear our mind and are desperate for positive words.
Please put these posts where they belong or in the category where they serve a good purpose.
Good morning Gigi,
You are certainly entitled to your own opinion on this, and I suppose if you and others felt strongly enough, you could also complain to LouB.
It is not that I need to place some things in medical...It is a choice.
Personally, I am of the opinion that we should all be aware of the complete picture with these diseases, mental, physical and otherwise. If you notice, I post many medical abstracts, articles and stories of success as well. But to ignore, hide or brush aside a very real consequence such as death would be to deny the seriousness associated with Tickborne diseases.
There are many posts here daily that I am not too fond of reading about either...however, that does not mean the problems don't exist. I feel more empowered having been made aware of the problems, even if they do not yet apply directly to me or a loved one.
I would hope that we don't begin to place restrictions on any of the issues surrounding these diseases even if they do make some uncomfortable.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
It's the real lyme & company world today. Yes it is depressing, but it's for real.
Sometimes reading other people's posts about their lives is depressing. There is NOTHING pretty about this whole mess.
Sometimes it's really hard to find positives when our world is such a struggle. Especially when some of us have little or no support from medical community, family, friends etc.
It's real. I call it a war. But my positive spin is I will win this war.
Pam
Posted by Geet3721 (Member # 15751) on :
Amen to that Map.
RIP Mr. Billings.
Posted by sizzled (Member # 1357) on :
Thank-you, Melanie, for your post.
I get asked many times if Lyme can be fatal.
There are those who are of the opinion that Lyme is no big deal and will not seek proper medical care.
Sometimes a reality check is all that is necessary for them to begin their journey to wellness.
This is sad and these posts ARE sad but then, life is not always a one-way street.
My deepest sympathy to this person's family and friends. May he rest in peace.
Posted by PinchotGail (Member # 5066) on :
Oh no not another one!!! Yes I agree what an amazing man. The obit only gave us a glimpse of this man. So sad.......
Gail
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
May his family and friends be comforted in their dark hours ahead.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
SURPRISE TONIGHT!
I heard back from Kurt's closest friend!!
"Dear Betty,
Thank you for seeking out someone you didn't know but did know his suffering.
Yes I have learned a lot more about Lyme's in the recent weeks and realize how tragic it can be. I was a close friend of Kurt's and can attest to his degrading condition over a 10 year period.
Kurt had some other challenges in his life which also put pressure on him however I truly believe if the lymes component was taken out of his life, he would still be here.
I will post a link to your suggestions in your email.
May I use some of your email to comment about the disease?
all the best and I wish you well.
May God bless you,
David Corwith"
wasn't that wonderful!
to the swimmer who contacted me privately, i stated david would be hearing from you too!
betty
i feel good i took the time to write kurt's family as a total stranger; and got the above in return.
editing; i just sent this direct link to his friend, david for his/family's info!! ************************************
[ 02-15-2009, 02:16 AM: Message edited by: bettyg ]
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
up; this got buried on page 2 already and most have not seen or read this update! betty
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
Mel, thanks for posting. May this man rest in peace. I don't know what other challenges he was facing, but it's so important to understand the seriousness of this disease and not be ashamed to reach out to others when we're at our lowest. My condolences to his family and friends.
Michelle
Posted by lymielauren28 (Member # 13742) on :
Good job Betty!
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
thanks lauren! Posted by shelly23 (Member # 16124) on :
Do we know what the offical causes was due to heart nero or other??
Posted by AmandaM (Member # 17466) on :
Shelly -- I believe he took his own life.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
update, i got this today, 2-17-09, from kurt's best friend, david:
"Hi Betty,
I will talk to the family and figure out how I want to connect Kurt's legacy to his tragedy (Lyme).
I will respect your request regarding privacy due to the "trolls" you speak of. I'm not suprised.
I wish you all the best and keep up the crusade. regards, Dave
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
![[kiss]](graemlins/kissing.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
thanks all and melanie for posting.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)