William McElhenny was on his way to visit his cousin when he spotted some household goods on the sidewalk with a “free” sign.
William, who went by Bill, grabbed four margarita glasses and presented them to his cousin, Gayle Dickinson, when he arrived at her Southwest Center City home.
“He said, ‘Look what I got you!’” Gayle said. “It’s just an example of the kind of person he was. Even though things weren’t going great in his reality, he was still thinking of others.”
Gayle has never used the glasses, but “now they’re forever in my cabinet. I could never get rid of them now. They mean so much.”
Bill faced challenges in his life. He had been unhoused since 2017 and living on the streets in Kensington, but he knew his cousin Gayle and his sister, Joanne Houck, were there for him if he needed anything.
On Oct. 29, 2020, Bill and another unhoused man got into an argument on Kensington Avenue, allegedly over three dollars, and Bill was fatally stabbed. He was 45 years old. The suspect was apprehended and is being held on murder charges.
Bill McElhenny as a child
“It was the saddest day of my life,” said Bill’s sister Joanne. “It’s so hard to believe he’s not here anymore.”
Bill was funny with “a big goofy contagious smile,” Gayle said. “Even when he was out on the street he never seemed to feel sorry for himself, he just wanted to laugh and joke.”
Bill was the third of three children, born to Margaret McGuire McElhenny and William McElhenny on March 28, 1976, a decade after Joanne. She recalls taking him for walks in his stroller and waking up at night to feed him a bottle.
When Bill was 18 months old, his mother died at 36. He went to live with his father’s side of the family in Northeast Philadelphia while Joanne and their sister Peggy went to their mother’s side. They saw each other for birthdays and holidays.
Bill had gotten into scrapes with the law over the years, and in 2017 he was released from prison after serving 12 years.
He had a hard time adjusting to a new, technology-filled world, marveling that so much had changed while he was gone. He lived with Joanne and her family in South Philly and was attending meetings to address his addiction. However, Bill relapsed when the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018. Shortly after that, he made his home in Kensington.
When Bill would show up at Gayle’s house, he’d get a shower, a change of clothes, something to eat and a few dollars in his pocket. Gayle tried not to preach to him about taking advantage of resources that could help him get back on his feet. Instead, she made their visits lighthearted so he’d be left with a good feeling.
Siblings Joanne Houck and Bill McElhenny
Bill was well-known at Prevention Point, a social service agency aimed at helping people affected by substance use and poverty. After his murder, Prevention Point held a candlelight vigil for him.
People spoke about how Bill looked out for others, and he loved to laugh. He was known for liking the song “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter because he could relate to it, even though he didn’t seem to let his struggles bring him down.
“He had a beautiful heart, always sharing his snacks and cigarettes with people,” remembers Roz Pichardo of Prevention Point. “If he had an extra blanket and someone needed it, he’d give it to them.”
Gayle was glad to see that Bill was not alone when he was unhoused.
“I thought he was out there by himself, but that wasn’t the case,” Gayle said. “It gave me a little bit of comfort to see he wasn’t actually alone and he had people who cared about him.”
Bill is survived by one son, his two sisters and extended family. He was cremated.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
