Good-bye to a Great Friend and Mentor- Artie Williams III

Every so often, about every month or so, my phone would ring or alert me that I had a text message. It would be Artie.

The message was nearly always the same…he had just called to see if I was OK. Sometimes he’d be on a shoot and he’d say “About to go shoot the Lakers at practice…just wanted to check on you…hope all is well.”

He would always look out for me and ask how I was doing. He was always so interested. He always cared enough to pick up the phone and check in. That was the person that he was…a personification of love, generosity, and kindness.

When my phone alerted me to a text message this morning, the feeling that overcame me as I read the words on the screen, is indescribable. We had lost an angel. The first thing that I thought to do was to pick up the phone and call Artie and ask him what had happened…why was I hearing that he had passed. Was it true? And it sunk in that I could no longer do that.

Artie was a special kind of person- the kind that you don’t come across often. He was a smiling face when you needed it, a helping hand when others let you down. He was an angel on earth, and now that he has been called home, I believe that he is watching over all of us…from the best seat in the house.

All of us that were mentored and loved by him will never forget how he made us feel, how he helped us in some way or another.

Artie, you will always be in my heart. Your continued support and encouragement will always be remembered…your laugh and voice always resounding in the back of my mind, pushing me to higher heights.

Your legacy is a great one, and will live on in the hearts of everyone who love you. Now I know for sure that we have a guardian angel…I love you Artie…always and forever.