BELCHERTOWN — “Miss you buddy.”
Randy Wood sent that short message to his best friend William “Billy” Robinson. Such texts were rare for Wood, and Robinson kept teasing him about it. It did not matter that they called nearly every day, hung out often, or even spoke through the Ring camera on Wood’s front porch. The texts were limited, and Robinson continued to let him have it.
But what followed was not a joke.
“Miss you too big dog,” Robinson responded.
The text was far more meaningful than Wood could ever predict. The day after their text conversation, Robinson died in a motorcycle crash near 201 W State St. in Granby on Sept. 10. He was 37.
“One of the best things I’ve done in my life is sending that one single text,” Wood said.
Robinson leaves behind his fiancée Krystal Morace and three children Noah, Landon and Arianna. A GoFundMe for the family, set up by Krystal’s father Robert Morace, has raised more than $45,500.
“Billy was the embodiment of joy,” Robert wrote on the GoFundMe post. “He lit up every room he entered with his infectious laughter and boundless spirit.”
Those who remember Robinson all recall his “electrifying” personality. Now that the light has dimmed, his friends and family attempt the impossible task of brightening their world with his memory.
“My son is four and a half years old, and even he feels the absence of Billy,” Robinson’s cousin Kyle LaPlante said by phone. “It speaks to the amount of the love he could give without even trying.”
According to his obituary, Robinson grew up in Chicopee and South Hadley and graduated from South Hadley High School in 2007. A year and a half ago, he relocated to Belchertown with his family.
Wood met Robinson when they worked together at Veryl’s Automotive Services in South Hadley from 2019 to 2023. The team at Veryl’s agreed that Robinson brought fun to every tune-up and was always willing to lend a hand for any job. Even after he left to start his own construction business, B&K Maintenance and Construction, Robinson still visited the staff for an oil change, a chat and a doughnut break.
Everyone knew when Robinson entered a room, LaPlante said. He greeted every person with a hug and treated no one like a stranger. Wood noted that if he could not see Robinson, he could definitely hear him.
“You knew he was in the area,” Wood said.
That loud voice was often heard from the stands of Robinson’s son’s hockey games and daughter’s cheer competitions. A loving parent, Robinson never missed an opportunity to support his children or spend time with his large family. LaPlante said Robinson was universally known as “Uncle Billy” to all the children in the family.
“My kids looked up to his kids, like everyone looked up to Billy,” he said.
Most of the time, Robinson was “a goofball,” Wood said. He recalls Robinson burning the tires on Wood’s truck after specifically asking him to be careful with it. Robinson once challenged Wood to a race, and when he attempted to cheat, it was Robinson, not Wood, who ended up on the ground.
But when the time called for it, Robinson paused his antics for heartfelt conversations and soft moments.
“He was an amazing guy, he would literally give the shirt off his back for anybody. He didn’t like to take; he liked to give.”
In Wood’s bureau is a selection of Robinson’s clothes that Wood borrowed and forgot to return. Among the items is a pair of shorts with a button missing. Now, the clothes remain there, without a destination.
Robinson’s memorial service will be held on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 1 to 4:00 p.m. at the Beers & Story Funeral Home on 646 Newton St. in South Hadley. Donations to a memorial account for the children can be sent to Alden credit union at 710 Grattan St. in Chicopee.
