Longtime Houston businessman and Texas Democratic leader Billy Goldberg died this past weekend at the age of 90. The Chronicle story on Billy’s life and death is here.
Billy was one of the many colorful larger-than-life characters who I have had the privilege of getting to know while practicing law in Houston over the past 27 years. A well-known Democratic Party activist for much of his life, Billy was in his late 70’s when I first met him. By that time, he had put most of his political activities aside to concentrate on business interests.
Billy was a risk-taker in business, so he had his share of financial and legal challenges. Eight or nine years ago, when he was in his early 80’s, Billy called me to help him work out a particularly complex jumble of business and legal problems. After a long but delightful meeting in which Billy laid out his problems in between anecdotes about LBJ and John Connally — and reminding me of possible help that he could receive from Clinton Administration officials — I presented a couple of alternative strategies, one of which was simply to pull back and prepare for retirement:

“Billy, you’re in your early 80’s,” I reasoned. “This approach would allow you to retire comfortably. Doesn’t that make most sense at this point in your life?”
“No, Tom, I don’t think so,” replied Billy with a wry smile. “The way I see it, I’ve only got six or seven more years of really good income-producing potential before I think about retiring. I don’t want to waste that potential!”

Six or seven more “really good income-producing years” after the age of 80? I just hope I have a fraction of Billy’s energy if I reach my early 80’s! Rest in peace, friend.