Be Travels On
A celebration of Life and Death
By Mountaine
Be, a/k/a William Byron Whiting II, a/k/a Bundle Be, was born on March 21, 1929 in Delevan, NY, and took his last breath at the age of 90 on October 13, 2019 in Liberty, TN.
B
e was many things to many people. He was an unmissable presence at Short Mountain gatherings starting in 1980. He was the ultimate drag queen—his outfits were unique and often over-the-top in their fabulosity, and at 6’2” he and they were very visible! (Unlike many aging folks, he didn’t seem to lose any of his height over the years.) He immersed himself in gratitude for all the gifts showered on him in his life. His sunny personality and charismatic style were legendary. He often told new Faeries about the difference between clapping one’s hands (indicating approval or—heaven forfend—obligation!), and hissing (in solidarity). He once said, “I never met a dick I didn’t like!” And he got to like a lot of them! Sister Soami (“Mish”) was editor of this magazine for many years, and remembers Be as “the best proofreader RFD ever had,” able to read the entire issue in twenty four hours and return it with important corrections. He was known to express his views strongly in public from time to time. When he shouted, “Focus, people!” or “Shut up!” his words were heard across the land. He was the revered “bundle keeper” for the Tennessee Naraya / Dance for all People, and was very serious about his ceremonial role of keeping peoples’ prayers alive and vibrant. Be was a highly skilled actor, director, and puppeteer. From 1964-1974, he was a member of the famous Bil Baird Marionette Theater, based in New York City. He performed with the Bairds in their huge show in the Chrysler pavilion at the 1964/65 New York World’s Fair, toured with them for ten years, and joined them frequently on television, including a Muppet Christmas special, and their enactment of the landing on the moon. In later years, Be loved to regale listeners with his fabulous memory of the opening night of the
Bairds’ Wizard of Oz puppet show. Be had already played the Wicked Witch onstage, so he was the puppeteer chosen for that role. It turned out that Margaret Hamilton (the iconic wicked witch in the original movie) was in the audience. She sought him out after the show, and said, “Your witch was just marvelous. The torch is passed!” In telling the story, Be said, “I’ve lived on that, as almost all my friends can tell you, for the rest of my life. Actors don’t get that kind of accolade all that often!” In 1974 Be moved to Virginia Beach with his then-partner Henry, to be more involved in the spiritual work of Edgar Cayce. He was also active in professional theater there, and played many lead roles, including Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Then in 1998 he relocated to middle Tennessee to be near his Faerie community. In 2005 he attended the first Tennessee Naraya/ Dance for all People, and those ceremonies led by native elders became a huge part of his life up to the end. For many years, until his health begin declining in 2018, he drove across the country every year to attend these events in Utah, Montana, at Wolf Creek in Oregon, and other places. To enjoy his long-distance driving, he praised the combination of frequent coffee and marijuana! Not many years ago, Be reconnected with his best friend Bill from childhood. When they found each other online, they hadn’t been in touch since high school. Be loved telling the story of his first visit back to the Buffalo area to see Bill again. They were taking a drive, revisiting memories of places they’d gone together as youths, when Bill asked, “Do you remember what we used to do when we pulled the car over?” Be certainly did! And Bill continued, “Do you think we could do something like that again?” Be eagerly agreed. His gorgeous blue eyes would light up when speaking of Bill as his “boyfriend.” Since around 2012, Be didn’t make it to most SMS Beltaine gatherings, because Bill’s birthday was May 1st, and Be preferred to drive twelve hours each way from Tennessee and spend the gathering week with him! In 2015, at age 86, I got to travel with Be, celebrating his first-ever trip to Europe. He told me (and the many friends who helped to pay for his trip) that RFD 180 Winter 2019 5
