red ness a true icon of the race track;last of the great four people we loved and respected most;gone out to pasture in order;Jim(the coach)Reed;George Marad;Bill Newman and now"Red" all made our lives RICHER--DEEPLY SAD AT ALL THEIR PASSINGS
            SINCERELY,
            Mike Soule & Tom Healy

To Jim, Chuck and Family of William L. Ness.
I just want to send my prayers and condolencences to all of yours.
José Luis Suarez
Spain

Red Ness - the man with the red hair and the proper Bostonian accent. 

Red was the love of my life and my best friend.  We had 18 years together.  He was the finest man I ever met.

I wasn’t part of his life when he was a horse trainer, but heard all the wonderful stories from him and from Jim and Chuck, who grew up during that time.  Red loved that part of his life and was always devoted to and respected his horses.  He said they’re all different - you have to get to know them.

During Red’s working life he entered races at tracks all over the entire east coast, from new England to Florida.  In the 90’s, we went to the track sometimes and without fail, someone would shout “Hey, Red,.”  he would always see someone he knew.

Red was President of the New England Horseman’s Association in the late 70’s and was instrumental in bringing about some beneficial changes to the industry in purses, barns and tracks.

Red was a proud veteran of the US Navy and served on the cruiser Houston, Battleship Wisconsin and Tanker Allagash.  Red’s tours took him all over Europe, the Far East and the Caribbean.   While in the Navy, he was able to visit his mother’s hometown in Scotland and meet with some of his uncles and other Scottish relatives.  

While on Battleship Wisconsin, exiting a Caribbean port, their sister ship Battleship Missouri, was entering and they passed close by Missouri sending the Missouri Waltz over the loudspeakers and the Wisconsi countering with “On Wisconsin.”

When we settled in Lauderhill, 18 years ago, what had been some hedges out front and around the backyard, soon became a jungle with Red’s help.  He planted the red seeds from the Manila palms, which sprouted and grew into some of the 12 trees we now have.  At times, Red had 50 pots of palms growing.  He also propagated and grew some beautiful roses from the ones there when we arrived.  

He was the kindest man I ever knew, with his wonderful personality and great sense of humor.  He was always good to me, we never had fights and he never complained about the cooking.

Red was happy with the house and garden, and devoted to our fine neighbors - Maurice, Jim, Bud & June and our friend Beverly over the past year.

Red worked hard all his life, through good and bad times, doing what he loved to do.  He was a perfect man, loving God and his country, his family and friends.

Dorothea Hazelton,  Lauderhill, Florida

Mommy needs to find a cord for our scanner. We have so many pictures that I want to share of Daddy, Grandpa Red, Miss Dorothea and Grandpa Red with us as babies, that I want to share.
Robert and Michael Ness

I miss my Grandpa Red. I talked with him all the time; he made me laugh and made me feel great.
I love you, Grandpa Red. I know that you are with me always.
Michael Ness

To the Family of William ”Red” Ness,
We had the pleasure of visiting with Red only a handful of times over the years but would always enjoy those visits very much. We pray that you are all comforted in the memories and knowledge that he is at peace. Love and prayers,
The Haug Family

Every week I looked forward to talking to Grandpa Red on the phone. I love him so much. I have so many pictures of him holding me, especially when I was a baby.
We got to visit with Grandpa Red this summer. We went out to dinner, and visited with he and Miss Dorothea almost every day. I will miss talking to Grandpa Red, but I know that he is still with me always. He is an angel with me now.
I love you Grandpa Red.
Robbie

When Chuck and I had had our first few dates, he decided that it was time for me to meet Red. Never Dad, (though he 'adopted' me when my own father passed away), always Red. I remember that phone call as if it were yesterday. Nervous as I was beforehand, I was immediately at ease, as if I'd known Red all my life.

Within a month, I was in Florida with Chuck, Red, and Dorothea...much celebrating and happiness shared as I was soon to be 'daughter-in-law.'

Because we shared so much in our love of horses and fishing, he became my friend as much as my father-in-law.

When our sons were born, he became "Grandpa Red" (to distinguish grandpas from my own father!) 

He held my babies, encouraged them always, fed them their first maple walnut ice cream, 'fought' with my mother over whose turn it was to cradle or feed the babies.

We spoke weekly, at least. Always, "I love you" between the boys, me and Red before we hung up.

I treasure all of these moments with Red, and with Dorothea, who loves him as he loves her.

I feel his presence now, as always, smiling and with us all. He was a survivor in the greatest sense, and I hold him in my heart always.

I Love You, Red, as ever,
Diane

To the Family of William L. Ness,
 This is to express my sincerest and deepest condolences and prayers to his beautiful family. I'm blessed to have known Red. May you find comfort in the warm memories and loving relationships that you shared with Red.
Thinking and praying for all of you. God Bless. 
Love, Rose

At 3:59 a.m. I got that horrible phone call that let me know that my father, Red, had passed on. Me, I was standing in a barn surrounded by 20 horses. There are no coincidenses in life.

For most of my life 4:00 a.m. the alarm would ring and Red and I would head off to work caring for and training his horses. Known and respected by his piers as a great horseman and perfectionist at his passion and trade, Red was a difficult man to work for but a trusted friend when you were in need.

I called them my "step brothers", Poochie, John Vincent, Richard Bruno, Jimbo Burns, Eddie Wajda and many more. Like me, all worked for Red when they were at their lowest and all came out the better for it. 

He is the best example of giving when sometimes there was nothing to give but yourself.

Grandpa,

As your only grand daughter, I always knew I had a special place in your heart. You always made me feel special.  I loved our phone calls that always consisted of talking about the weather, most notably hurricanes, my car, which once cleaned magically turned from black to blue, and school.  It was your and Dorothea’s support system that made my transition to the University of Florida so successful.  I enjoyed all our visits from the ones I can vaguely remember in Virginia and New Hampshire to the more recent ones in New York and Florida.  I will never forget you wearing your baseball cap backwards when we went fishing for the last time in Miami for your eightieth birthday.  Always protective and supportive, you have helped molded me into the strong, independent and successful young adult I am today. I will miss you.

Love,

Your favorite Granddaughter

Marielle

To my Grandpa,

You have been a special friend to me.  I thank you for all of my happy memories and my visits with you.  I will always strive to make you proud of me. I will miss you.

Love,

Jon

Red was my father by marriage.  I knew him for over thirty years, 10 years longer than my own father.  As my father in-law and Grandpa to my children, he was a dear friend.  He was a special part of my life from the beginnings of my marriage to Jim, through the playful and active years of our young children and finally in recent years when he saw the children begin college and stop down to Lauderhill for the occasional visit.  In the early years, he would always stop to visit with our family in Virginia, as he would travel up and down the east coast to track his horses.  He always enjoyed quality time with us and his young grandchildren during those visits.  While I know he was extremely proud of Jim’s military service, our lives and assignments took us overseas at times.  During these years, our visits with Red became less frequent, but sometimes more special.  Our most special memory will be this past summer, when Jim returned from Afghanistan for a week that enabled our family to visit with Red for what was our last time with him as a family.  We will miss you dear friend and bid you peace in your eternal journey.
Love,
Mary

To My Father

Thoroughbred horses were my Father’s passion.  He would rise hours before dawn to train his horses and be with his friends on the backside of the Racetrack.  To his friends he was Red, for on the Racetrack most people had a nickname given to them by their friends on the backside.  There were friends named “t-shirt”, “you betta believe it”, “headache Hank” and “weak eyes”.  Rarely was a well liked person introduced by their given name.  My Father was Red and not William or Bill and most everyone knew Red.  

My Dad loved the track, but he was also committed to his children and grandchildren. He took great pride and interest in each of us and our pursuits and accomplishments.  Dad especially enjoyed fishing and always took time out to take my brother and I fishing.  He loved to fish, not so much to catch fish, but simply to relax and be with friends.  He especially liked taking afternoon fishing trips out of Baker’s Hollow.  For his 80th Birthday, I took him fishing on a private charter out of Baker’s Hollow.  We hooked and landed a lunker of a Tarpon that day.  He talked about that fishing trip every time I visited with him.   It was the last time he went fishing.  

I will miss the friendly banter, the fatherly advise, the warm greetings and the ever present excitement in his voice when we would speak.  His last days we spent playing a bit of tug-of-war with the rubber band his nurse used to restrict blood flow in the arm to draw blood.  He never lost his humor or his way of making a game and a happy time out of what most people would find as dark times.  He left us on his own time, with dignity and with a smile.  Most of all he left us with a life lesson of how to see all of life’s gifts that surround us and to use those blessings to lead us through even the gravest of circumstances.  

Love you Dad, your son Jim

OBITUARY

William L. Ness

15 February, 1928 – 14 January, 2011

Bailey Memorial

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