Kirk LeMoyne Billings
Kirk LeMoyne Billings, or “Lem,” was born in Pittsburgh on April 15, 1916. He was a descendent of Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne, the well-known abolitionist and founder of the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Lem’s life changed when he met John F. Kennedy at Choate prep school in Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1933, while working on the school’s yearbook. They banded together, Lem growing from the scrawny kid to strong and healthy, while Jack’s health was precarious and he was commonly ill. Their two years together in boyhood helped solidify a strong bond that would last for life.
The entire Kennedy family was smitten with Lem and appreciated his genuine friendship with Jack and the rest of the children. Mr. Joseph Kennedy wrote to Lem saying, “Dear Lem, this is as good a time to tell you that the Kennedy children from young Joe down should be very proud to be your friends, because year in and year out you have given them what few people really enjoy. True Friendship. I’m glad we all know you.”
The duo next adventured in Europe for two summer months before starting at Princeton University in 1937. Their schooling was interrupted by the start of World War II when their classmates began enlisting. While Lem’s poor eyesight disqualified him from service, Jack enlisted in 1941 in the Naval Reserve and was assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence. In 1942, Lem was accepted by the American Field Service, a paramilitary ambulance corps. Pvt. LeMoyne Billings went to Cairo, Eygpt and in late 1943 received minor shrapnel wounds at El Alamein and was sent home. After healing, Lem received a recommendation to join the U.S. Naval Reserve and was finally one step closer to his friend; he served on the U.S.S. Cecil, an attack transport in the South Pacific.
Lem graduated from Harvard School of Business Administration in 1948, became vice-president at Baltimore’s Emerson Drug, and then vice-president of Lennon & Newell, a New York advertising firm. In 1958, Kennedy was re-elected to the Senate; as President, JFK would offer Lem several jobs, which Lem refused as he wanted to be friends more than anything else. He continued to work for Lennon & Newell in New York, often staying at the White House when visiting JFK in Washington. When Lem was appointed a founding trustee of the National Cultural Center (which became the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a living memorial) by President JFK, he visited even more, gaining a Secret Service code name and use of the White House guest room. The bond they shared since childhood had grown stronger from the tests of time, war and politics, but Lem never tried to use Jack’s fame or wealth since their friendship began. Lem would confess years later “Do you think I would have had a better life having been Jack Kennedy’s best friend, having been with him during so many moments of his Presidency, having had my own room at the White House, having had the best friend anybody ever had or having been married, settled down, and living somewhere?”
On November 22, 1963, the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, Lem’s best friend, was shot and killed. On Monday, November 25, 1963, President JFK was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Lem settled in a townhouse adjacent to the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1981, collecting art and memories of his youth. On May 28, 1981, Kirk LeMoyne Billings passed away in his New York townhouse at 65 years old. He was buried at Allegheny Cemetery on June 1, 1981, next to his parents in Section 12, Lot 92/93. His funeral was attended by many in the Kennedy family. The inscription on his headstone reads “Love Never Dies” and was added by his family after his passing as a fitting tribute to the man who loved those in his life so deeply. Lem bequeathed his New York apartment to Jack’s son, Michael LeMoyne Kennedy. His story of loyalty and friendship with the entire Kennedy family continues to inspire others while proving that “Love Never Dies.”
Howard Eaton
Another man whose close friend was famous is Howard Eaton. Howard was born on February 8, 1851, and raised in a wealthy Pittsburgh family. He started his first ranch in 1879 near Medora, North Dakota, and established a residence with squatter’s rights along with two of his brothers. He named the ranch Custer Trail after General George Custer, who had camped in the area. Howard first hosted visitors, including wealthy Pittsburghers, in 1883, offering hunting, fishing, and horseback riding in abundance for those who wanted it.
Howard was first introduced to Theodore Roosevelt on a hunting trip in 1883; they were only 7 years apart in age and both enjoyed the wild Western ways. A year later, Roosevelt established his Maltese Cross ranch next to Howard’s. They bonded over similar interests and a love for Western adventure, with Roosevelt visiting often and recounting his vacations. It was Roosevelt who helped the Custer Trail ranch grow into a well- known vacation spot for those in the East. Howard also used his talents for other profitable endeavors, including as a wild animal broker, shipping exotic animals to parks in Pittsburgh and across the country. In 1898, Eaton started giving two-week guided tours through Yellowstone Park. The Eaton’s Wyoming ranch, sold in 1904, is still in operation today and welcomes guests.
Howard Eaton died on April 5, 1922, in Wyoming at 71 years old. He was riding, camping and guiding until his death. He is buried in Section 7, Lot 54, next to his parents. Yellowstone National Park named a trail in his honor with a dedication ceremony on July 19, 1923. While Howard Eaton started as an enthusiastic hunter of wild game, he became more of an activist for their protection as he spent his life among them.
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