VERO BEACH — Close to 900 people filled the chapel at the Community Church in Vero Beach Thursday to pay their respects to former Fighting Indians football coach Billy Livings and his family.
Former and current players, coaches, friends and colleagues embraced the opportunity to say goodbye and thank you to a man who gave so much of himself to the community and asked for so little in return.
During the eulogy Pastor Bob Baggott spoke about meeting Livings for the first time.
“Billy pulled up on his golf cart and took me to the field,” the pastor said. “I asked him to tell me a little bit about himself and he said let me tell you about my team. Livings went on for the next 30 minutes telling me something about every player – where they lived, who their moms and dads were, and about their strengths and areas of improvement. That’s just the type of selfless man he was.”
Gary Coggin, who coached with Livings for years before taking over the Vero Beach head coaching position when Livings retired, spoke about the service.
“He’s such a big part of my life, and the lives of a whole bunch of kids and a whole bunch of coaches and a whole bunch of people in the community and the turn out proves that he’s made a big impact on a whole bunch of folks,” Coggin said.
Vero Beach’s current coach Lenny Jankowski said he knew of Livings when he first became a head coach.
“Even back then Billy was larger than life,” Jankowski said. “Whenever he walked into a room everyone knew who he was.”
Livings suffered a major stroke last Thursday and died the follow Monday at the age of 75. He will always be remembered for giving Vero Beach high school their first and only state championship in 1981, and also for giving the community a sense of pride that lives on today.