"Bill" Roberts and I were colleagues for over ten years. We were approximately a year apart in age, we both grew up in Brooklyn, were/are devoted to our families and had a personal connection to the New York Police Department. ... Consequently, we shared more than might be expected between colleagues whose personal activities and lives didn't intersect outside of the office. ... I learned only moments ago of Bill's passing. His requiem services concluded earlier this morning. Regrettably I missed the opportunity to pass my condolences to his family. Absent that opportunity, I feel deeply obligated to say some thing on his behalf. ... Bill had the rare quality of making you feel like you were the most important person in the room, even while making small talk in public settings. Perfectly complementing that quality was his attribute for being consistently reliable. If you needed a hand at anything at all, he had never excused himself with a deflection. He would be there, sleeves rolled up and ready to pitch in, exactly when you expected him to be. And, naturally, whenever he asked for a hand, there would never be a regret to giving him all you had to give. ... No matter how you slice and dice the above attributes, whether inside or outside the office, they define a friendship. ... Hopefully, they've reserved a good seat in good company for Bill in heaven. He's certainly earned it. ... Jack McCorkell