"Billy", as I always called him, was an extraordinary and talented person. I especially enjoyed our long visits of the last nine months. One of these really fun times was when he and I went together to our 49th Class Reunion Picnic the first weekend in October of 2009. He enjoyed introducing me to our classmates to see if they would recognize me after almost a half century had elapsed. I'll confess I didn't know a lot of them either! I told him how I always made sure that I danced with him at our get-acquainted parties in high school because he was tall and a wonderful dancer. We laughed about the practices for our Junior Class Play and remembered how much fun it was to perform. His father usually gave me a ride back to the farm after the night practices. Billy and I were both sentimental and saved everything, including our high school gym suits which were unbelievably small back then. When we looked at the suits recently, we asked ourselves how we ever fit into them. We loved old things and liked to reminisce about the "good old days" and my childhood home "Carysbrooke." I shall truly miss "Billy" and always recall with fondness our special friendship. Judy Perry DeCristofaro May 10, 2010 Winchester, Virginia James Wood High School "Class of 1960"

Bill was my uncle. We were so close growing up that he seemed more than an uncle so we just called him "Bill". I saw him just about every day for many years once our home was built on the back of my grandfathers farm. I developed a passion for the movies from Bill and loved listening to all he knew about films from the 1940's and 1950's. Whenever he would purchase a costume or prop it would often arrive while I was in school. As excited as he must have been to see it he always waited until I got home from school before he would open it so we could experience it for the first time together. Looking back at photographs of the items arriving he always took pictures of me with the items. I could not find a single photograph of him with the items. He took my brother and me to the Kennedy Center in Washington several times to see old films during the 1970's. (Imagine a time with no DVD's !). We saw "Summer Stock" and "Raintree County" there on the big screen. I remember that my eyes were glued to the screen the entire time. Those are two of my favorite films. Whenever Bill did an exhibit of his collection he always invited me to help and made me feel valued and important. I was a kid and was probably more of a bother to him than anything but he never made me feel that way. He always asked for my ideas and made them seem special. I worked for him at The Picture Shoppe for several years during school. He took great pains to make every order the very best it could be. He was know for delivering high quality work and craftsmanship. He loved talking to customers and meeting new people and always had a smile on his face. He had a way of making others feel comfortable and welcome. He was willing to help just about anyone. At Christmas he often accepted last minute framing orders just so someone else would have a special Christmas even though it often meant he was still working late on Christmas Eve. One year a customer even picked up their picture early on Christmas morning because he was up most of the night trying to get it completed. One amusing story that Bill told me involved my brother Jeff and I when we were about 6 and 7 years old. We were attending his family birthday dinner. When we arrived we sat his gift down on the table in front of him. He said it was obvious that whatever was wrapped up was broken in about a million pieces. When he opened the gift it was mustache cup that was indeed shattered. He said Jeff and I blamed each other for breaking the cup and each felt certain that we were innocent and that the other was the one guilty of breaking the gift. He found it quite amusing that we sat the gift down in front of him when it was obviously broken and the entire box rattled. He also found it humorous that we spent most of the evening blaming each other ! He was a friend to all. He will be missed and he touched more lives in a positive and loving way than he will ever know. Mike

I got to know Bill around 2000 when several of us were organizing the Magic Lantern Theater, a new, local film society devoted to bringing alternative film to Winchester. In those early days, we depended on several old, hand-me-down 16mm projectors, and Bill was about the only person in town who knew how to operate them! And even after we moved on to DVDs, Bill remained as a loyal supporter of our efforts. In addition, my wife Sandy and I attended a number of Bill's very special "musical productions" and film parties on the Madigan compound. What fun it was to meet other old-time film buffs and to hear Bill's tales of stars such as Judy Garland and Judy Canova. There was one night when we watched both a Garland-Rooney flick followed by "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with Jimmy Cagney. I'm still catching up on my sleep! But, bottom line, Bill was a wonderful friend and colleague. We shall miss him very much. Mark Lore

Bill was a gentle man and a talented picture framer. He took as much time as a customer needed to decide on the precise frame and mat for the project. He did not push his opinion on the buyer even though he had an unfailing eye but patiently allowed the customer to discover what he had envisioned all along. A humble man, he would give credit to his high school art teacher, Peggy Shrader (my mother), for encouraging his artistic bent. We always enjoyed visiting with Bill and sharing memories of growing up in Winchester. We will miss him. Gretchen Saunders

We are all going to miss being with Bill, but our memories will always keep him with us. He has touched so many lives in so many ways. To me, he was first, the framer recommended to do the best job of lacing, matting, and framing my needlework. He did a magnificent job suggesting frames and matte colors that showed the work off beautifully. It was all in the presentation...and Bill was a master at it!. I have used a couple of other framers in a pinch and the resullt was very obvious...Bill's work was far superior. He was truly a craftsman. It got to the place that I would send him a piece of needlework and let him pick out the mattes and framing, trusting his eye to pick out the perfect combination. Bill was our "go-to-guy" for costumes for the premiere of the Patsy Cline movie, which was a success in part because of Bill's generosity. He was involved in Apple Blossom and had a museum downtown for awhile with movie memorabilia. There were many facets to Bill that brought him many longtime friends. And that brings me to who Bill really was. He became a friend. We had long talks when I visited the shop, and talks that continued over the phone this last year. He was a character who had interests in so many things that you never ran out of things to talk about. I already miss the old farmhouse cluttered with works in progress, finished, and not yet started. I miss Bill's father sitting in the den where he was for his last years. But most of all I miss Bill's great smile and his voice. I never heard him say anything bad about anyone. He did not complain, make excuses, or blame others. As I said in the beginning, Bill lived a full life and touched many lives. He will live on in all his works, both tangible and intangible. But we will all still miss him.

I will try this again! I have many fond memories of Bill as I was a member of his AM-CA group in the early 60's. My mother, Rosalee, and my aunts, Erma, Jeannie,Agnes(I think) also performed in AM-CA. We performed for various groups, one of which stands out is the Veterans Administration. I was happy we could bring some joy and smiles on the faces of the veterans who served our country! I then kind of lost touch when I went off to college, but would occasionally ask my mother how he was doing. I re-contacted Bill and his sister, Barbara Hummer, I think it was the summer of 2006 and went by their homes to say 'hello'. He was kind enough to give me some pictures when I visited again from the days of AM-CA, and some photos he took when he attended my dear mother's funeral in August 2007. My heart goes out to Bill's family. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Faye Adams James Wood Class of 1961

"Billy", as I always called him, was an extraordinary and talented person. I especially enjoyed our long visits of the last nine months. One of these really fun times was when he and I went together to our 49th Class Reunion Picnic the first weekend in October of 2009. He enjoyed introducing me to our classmates to see if they would recognize me after almost a half century had elapsed. I'll confess I didn't know a lot of them either! I told him how I always made sure that I danced with him at our get-acquainted parties in high school because he was tall and a wonderful dancer. We laughed about the practices for our Junior Class Play and remembered how much fun it was to perform. His father usually gave me a ride back to the farm after the night practices. Billy and I were both sentimental and saved everything, including our high school gym suits which were unbelievably small back then. When we looked at the suits recently, we asked ourselves how we ever fit into them. We loved old things and liked to reminisce about the "good old days" and my childhood home "Carysbrooke." I shall truly miss "Billy" and always recall with fondness our special friendship. Judy Perry DeCristofaro May 10, 2010 Winchester, Virginia James Wood High School "Class of 1960"

Bill was my uncle. We were so close growing up that he seemed more than an uncle so we just called him "Bill". I saw him just about every day for many years once our home was built on the back of my grandfathers farm. I developed a passion for the movies from Bill and loved listening to all he knew about films from the 1940's and 1950's. Whenever he would purchase a costume or prop it would often arrive while I was in school. As excited as he must have been to see it he always waited until I got home from school before he would open it so we could experience it for the first time together. Looking back at photographs of the items arriving he always took pictures of me with the items. I could not find a single photograph of him with the items. He took my brother and me to the Kennedy Center in Washington several times to see old films during the 1970's. (Imagine a time with no DVD's !). We saw "Summer Stock" and "Raintree County" there on the big screen. I remember that my eyes were glued to the screen the entire time. Those are two of my favorite films. Whenever Bill did an exhibit of his collection he always invited me to help and made me feel valued and important. I was a kid and was probably more of a bother to him than anything but he never made me feel that way. He always asked for my ideas and made them seem special. I worked for him at The Picture Shoppe for several years during school. He took great pains to make every order the very best it could be. He was know for delivering high quality work and craftsmanship. He loved talking to customers and meeting new people and always had a smile on his face. He had a way of making others feel comfortable and welcome. He was willing to help just about anyone. At Christmas he often accepted last minute framing orders just so someone else would have a special Christmas even though it often meant he was still working late on Christmas Eve. One year a customer even picked up their picture early on Christmas morning because he was up most of the night trying to get it completed. One amusing story that Bill told me involved my brother Jeff and I when we were about 6 and 7 years old. We were attending his family birthday dinner. When we arrived we sat his gift down on the table in front of him. He said it was obvious that whatever was wrapped up was broken in about a million pieces. When he opened the gift it was mustache cup that was indeed shattered. He said Jeff and I blamed each other for breaking the cup and each felt certain that we were innocent and that the other was the one guilty of breaking the gift. He found it quite amusing that we sat the gift down in front of him when it was obviously broken and the entire box rattled. He also found it humorous that we spent most of the evening blaming each other ! He was a friend to all. He will be missed and he touched more lives in a positive and loving way than he will ever know. Mike

In honor of William H. Madigan, Mary Vaughn lit a candle.

I got to know Bill around 2000 when several of us were organizing the Magic Lantern Theater, a new, local film society devoted to bringing alternative film to Winchester. In those early days, we depended on several old, hand-me-down 16mm projectors, and Bill was about the only person in town who knew how to operate them! And even after we moved on to DVDs, Bill remained as a loyal supporter of our efforts. In addition, my wife Sandy and I attended a number of Bill's very special "musical productions" and film parties on the Madigan compound. What fun it was to meet other old-time film buffs and to hear Bill's tales of stars such as Judy Garland and Judy Canova. There was one night when we watched both a Garland-Rooney flick followed by "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with Jimmy Cagney. I'm still catching up on my sleep! But, bottom line, Bill was a wonderful friend and colleague. We shall miss him very much. Mark Lore

Bill was a gentle man and a talented picture framer. He took as much time as a customer needed to decide on the precise frame and mat for the project. He did not push his opinion on the buyer even though he had an unfailing eye but patiently allowed the customer to discover what he had envisioned all along. A humble man, he would give credit to his high school art teacher, Peggy Shrader (my mother), for encouraging his artistic bent. We always enjoyed visiting with Bill and sharing memories of growing up in Winchester. We will miss him. Gretchen Saunders

We are all going to miss being with Bill, but our memories will always keep him with us. He has touched so many lives in so many ways. To me, he was first, the framer recommended to do the best job of lacing, matting, and framing my needlework. He did a magnificent job suggesting frames and matte colors that showed the work off beautifully. It was all in the presentation...and Bill was a master at it!. I have used a couple of other framers in a pinch and the resullt was very obvious...Bill's work was far superior. He was truly a craftsman. It got to the place that I would send him a piece of needlework and let him pick out the mattes and framing, trusting his eye to pick out the perfect combination. Bill was our "go-to-guy" for costumes for the premiere of the Patsy Cline movie, which was a success in part because of Bill's generosity. He was involved in Apple Blossom and had a museum downtown for awhile with movie memorabilia. There were many facets to Bill that brought him many longtime friends. And that brings me to who Bill really was. He became a friend. We had long talks when I visited the shop, and talks that continued over the phone this last year. He was a character who had interests in so many things that you never ran out of things to talk about. I already miss the old farmhouse cluttered with works in progress, finished, and not yet started. I miss Bill's father sitting in the den where he was for his last years. But most of all I miss Bill's great smile and his voice. I never heard him say anything bad about anyone. He did not complain, make excuses, or blame others. As I said in the beginning, Bill lived a full life and touched many lives. He will live on in all his works, both tangible and intangible. But we will all still miss him.

In honor of William H. Madigan, Nicholas Inglis lit a candle.

I will try this again! I have many fond memories of Bill as I was a member of his AM-CA group in the early 60's. My mother, Rosalee, and my aunts, Erma, Jeannie,Agnes(I think) also performed in AM-CA. We performed for various groups, one of which stands out is the Veterans Administration. I was happy we could bring some joy and smiles on the faces of the veterans who served our country! I then kind of lost touch when I went off to college, but would occasionally ask my mother how he was doing. I re-contacted Bill and his sister, Barbara Hummer, I think it was the summer of 2006 and went by their homes to say 'hello'. He was kind enough to give me some pictures when I visited again from the days of AM-CA, and some photos he took when he attended my dear mother's funeral in August 2007. My heart goes out to Bill's family. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Faye Adams James Wood Class of 1961

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.