Bill was the kindest person that I have ever met. I will miss him.

NFF

He was such a soft spoken but knowledgeable guy. You did not ask a question to Bill if you were not ready for an answer, because he would research it and give you a full answer.

He will really be missed not only as an instructor and one of the founders of GTC, but as a kind and giving person who was always involved in causes that were much larger than himself.

Rest in Peace my friend.

Arman

This is one of them…

I feel blessed to have worked with Bill again this past week and weekend at the GTC Las Vegas classes. Great stories and lots of laughs while getting the job done, as always.

I can see him shaking his head at me with a smile after seeing some funny photos I took of him…

Be at peace, my friend… We’ll all see you again soon…

Timmer

😎 😎 😎

His mantra while playing craps was…."Pink Skies and Blue Bunny Rabbits" He would say it over and over again to get himself into the zone at the tables. Bill, may you rest in peace in a field of Blue Bunny Rabbits and the Pink Skies of Heaven.
You will be missed by all.

Mark

Doc

Bill, we love you, and you will be missed by all of us.

There will come a day when we will join you, and we will play craps together forever.

Rest in Peace, dear friend.

Goddess and Sandtrap

Without Bill Burton there would be no Golden Touch Craps. He was one of the four founders of the company. Most people do not know the powerful impact Bill had on everything we did.

Those who have met him know what kind of person he was; a gentleman of the first order; a knowledgeable expert who could be approached. He was the definition of the “good guy.”

He was a loyal friend to all of us. He was a man of substance.

Let me allow Shakespeare to explain our feelings: “[Our] sorrow must not be measured by his worth for then it has no end.”

I consider myself very lucky to have played with him, eaten with him and shared many enlightening conversations with him, I am a better man for knowing him!

Thank you for everything you were Bill and may you rest in peace my friend.

I always enjoyed talking with him and found him very helpful to me.

Noah

Bob

He was a good steward to the game.
During a break in class I saw him chatting with Dom. I don’t know what Dom had told Bill, but I could see him laughing.
That’s the memory I have of Bill besides the advice he gave me.
A gentle giant.

He will be missed by all.

There’s been countless times he’s helped each of us…..instructors AND students alike. An intelect and a kindeness withing a rarity of a person. He’ll be missed. As is said of the good ones that leave us too soon, God only takes the best…..

Attached is my two cents, my tribute to our friend Bill…

I’m so sad 😥

Lee

This morning I am thinking of how Bill got me into on line poker. Taught me everything I know about it. I entered a $100 by in tourney with about 550 players. I made it to the final table and I called Bill on the phone. He entered the room and with his help I came in second place, the other guy beat me on the river to make his straight. We played that final table till about 2:00 AM and Bill couldn’t have been prouder of me.

Bill, I know you can hear me, we all love you brother and I will forever cherish our times together

Dom

I did get to meet Bill at my beginning class in 2008. He was instructing at one of the tables. I could tell by meeting him that he was knowledgeable but modest. That’s an admirable trait for someone to have.

My condolences to his wife and family.

Viewing is on July 8, 2013 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Newington Memorial Funeral Home, 20 Bonair Ave., Newington, CT. Burial will private in West Meadow Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, NY, NY 10163-47777.

To share a memory with his family, please visit us at http://www.newingtonmemorial.com.

Dom

Michael

Michael

Randman

Very sorry to hear this, for Bill, his family, and those of you that
new him very well.

gman

Dominator

I will miss always miss Bill.

EDITOR’S LETTER

J. Phillip Vogel

More Than Words

There’s a fine line between priceless and worthless.

When you think about it, a diamond is nothing more than compressed earth, carbon taken to such a point that its very bonds form a tight, near perfect lattice. But in the end, despite its relative rarity it’s still nothing more than it was to begin with: a rock. It may be the Hope diamond— rare and exquisite—but its only value is what we assign to it.

We all have those things in our lives that we place a special value on. It may be our first car, now held together by rust; or a torn and cracked keepsake; or some treasure from our youth that reminds us of better days. Even some off the shelf knick-knack can hold a priceless emotional connection if it’s from someone dear to us. One man’s irreplaceable treasure is another’s trash.

For as far back as I can remember I have assigned a very special value to words. They can be cheap, it’s true. But the right words are rarer than any diamond or precious metal. Words change minds, break hearts, comfort loved ones, announce victory, challenge injustice, and herald the birth of a child or the death of a tyrant. They allow us to take our personal experiences, our hopes and burdens and express them to another. We use them to share the very essence of what we are. Yes, the right words are priceless. And they can carry on, sharing our wisdom or whimsy, echoing down the corridor of time long after we have left our form to the dust.

I was prompted to this somewhat melancholic reflection on the value of words last week, when I received a short, disturbing note from a colleague. It read simply that William C. Burton—Bill Burton to our readers—passed away. He was 61.

Gentlemen, scholar, husband, son and brother, columnist Bill Burton was a gifted man. He was an author and avid card player with a wide range of hobbies, including kayaking, scuba diving, hiking, and geo caching. He even enjoyed playing the clown at parties, and was locally known as “Mr. Bill the Town Clown.”

What’s more, I know of no one who had an unkind word to say about him.

Even though he battled a cruel illness for years, Bill never let it get the best of him. His work for Strictly Slots was always exceptional, well written, and despite the hardship he suffered, it was never once late. And I can tell by the letters in my files that our readers enjoyed what he had to say.

He may not have penned Macbeth or the likes of Moby Dick or other classic literature. Bill wrote about gambling. But his words were seen by millions of people over the years, and he helped countless players to better understand the game and themselves. And for that, his words will be remembered.

Bill will certainly be missed, and by far more people than ever even met him. I’m sure all of our readers will take a moment to offer a kind thought or word about a charming and dedicated man.

The thought comes to me from the end of the movie "The Gladiator" when Macimus’s friend buries the two wood dolls and says as he looks up to the skies, "We will see each other again, but not yet"

Dom