'I'm sure he's already organizing everything in heaven so it will be completely ready for us with just the right Early American furniture, the right curtains, the right rugs, the right paintings, and everything ready for a big, big party, he said. Joseph Kennedy Sr. called him "my second son," and he . ', Roommates: JFK and Billings (right) roomed atChoate and again atPrinceton (pictured mid-1930s outside a drugstore with roommate Ralph Horton Jr), JFK's sisterEunice Kennedy Shriver said his relationship with Billingswas a 'complete liberation of the spirit' for Jack (Pictured on their Christmas card with fellow Princeton roommateRalph Horton Jr), While her husband had his qualms about Billings and couldn't stand to have him around, the matriarch Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, had a different take. He had an older sister, Ruth (Speer) Steele, older brother, Eugene "Bud" Speer, and younger half-brother Lawrence "Larry" Payant. Im not that kind of boy.. But Kennedy's reaction to Billings gay come-on soon changed and he became more amenable to his friend's advances, according to the writer Lawrence J. Quirk, author of "The Kennedys in Hollywood." ', 'It was that kind of talk, more bragging, but I believed him. "The book posits the idea that there are these given points in our lives where we're making a really important choice," says Bayard. 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Biographer Sally Bedell Smith referred to Billings as probably the saddest of the Kennedy widows., Following the assassination of RFK in 1968, Billings transferred his romantic feeling to Kennedys nephew, Bobby Kennedy Jr, to whom Billings would become a fawning surrogate father and fellow drug user.. Jack's best friend was Lem, and he would want to remind everyone of that today. Inside JFKs Intimate Relationship With Gay Best Friend Who Had His Own Room In The White House, Britney Spears Blames Her Mom For Conservatorship Inside Lynne Spearss Complicated Role In Singers Life, Details About Kristen Stewarts Fiance Dylan Meyers & Their Adorably Casual Proposal, The Horniest Animal In The World Is Not What You Think It Is, I'd Rather Get Pregnant With My Gay Best Friend Than My Husband, Teacher Wants Student Removed From His Class Because The Kid's Parents Don't Approve Of His Marriage, Jeffrey Epstein's Relationship With Princess Diana Explored In New Book. Find the obituary of Lem Speer (1928 - 2021) from Billings, MT. Among the faculty there may have been a collective sigh of reliefbecause things with Bobby would have only escalated and the attitude was, okay, he's now the next school's problem.'. the two men was friendship. 11:10 EDT 13 Oct 2015 Billings, was a prep school roommate and then David Marciano - Steve Billings (2008, recurring 2005-2007) Benito Martinez - David Aceveda (2002-2008) . After it was all over, Bobby left home with $600, and traveled to California, sometimes riding the rails, and ended up in Berkeley where he bought drugs with money he panhandled. Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary and Crematory is a locally and independently owned and operated full service funeral home and crematory. But as I began to research him, I realized he was also very good friends with Jackie," the novelist says. Copyright 2022 by Louis Bayard. "And he also played a very important role in the courtship between Jackie Bouvier and Jack Kennedy. It was pretty clear he had some intravenous drug use back then, and he was the only person we knew who did.'. Jackie, I imagine, is now asking the name of Bobby's daughter or wondering if Eunice will be there and which one is Pat? See the article in its original context from. According to Jerry Oppenheimer, author of RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy and the Dark Side of the Dream, Kennedy responded, please dont write to me on toilet paper anymore. By clicking on a service below, you can view the obituary and service details, leave a condolence, send flowers, and if requested by the family attend a service live with remote attendance or view the service at a later time. , Did President Kennedy meet the Queen of England? LeMoyne Billings and Ethel Kennedy attend Liza Minnelli Concert on May 23, 1970 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His appearances were unusual in that you never knew when he was going to show up. The Kennedys tolerated his homosexuality, which was considered taboo at the time, Lawrence J. Quirk, the author of'The Kennedys in Hollywood' said Billings and JFK's relationship turned sexual at a point. John F. Kennedy, whose 100th birthday is being celebrated this year with a Kennedy Centennial postage stamp, TV memorials, a slew of books, and much media coverage, was revered as the 35th president of the United States. JFK appeared to be in love with the idea of Billings being in love with him. Lem P Speer <p>Lem P. Speer, 93, died peacefully in his home on November 20, 2021. "At one point he was sent by Jack to give Jackie the low-down about what she could expect once they were married. A unique and lasting tribute for a . Lem Billings andBobby Kennedy Jr became close after JFK's death and allegedly took drugs together. And it was pretty common, of course in those days and that culture, for men not to be that way.". In the spring of 1972, with graduation approaching, Bobby took the SAT college board exam, and filled out his application for college. 228. I took drugs with him. The one iconic photo of President John F. Kennedy up close and personal with a woman other than Jackie shows him and his attorney general brother, Robert, coming on to curvaceous Marilyn Monroe at a party. 121 likes. The walls were covered with black sheets with framed photographs of RFK attached to them. getting discharged in 1946. He noted that everywhere Jack went, Billings was sure to follow, like a puppy dog. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., David Kenne. Yesterday was Jack's birthday. Credit: JFK Presidential Library and Museum. I have no evidence one way or another, but I would discount [any sexual activity.]. But I'm stuck with the Kennedys emotionally, and I will be to the end of my life.". Because Jack had no intention of ever being a faithful husband. It's when we're crossing back over Chain Bridge that she rouses herself to ask: "Jack, what color is your car?". His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. Nature rushes forth, and the car dealers and the Hot Shoppes fall away before dogwoods and tulip trees, tatters of forsythia. When Billings died of a heart attack in 1981, Bobby Jr gave the eulogy (From left to right: Lem Billings, Bobby Kennedy Jr andEthel Kennedy), Part of the family: From childhood to adulthood, Billings stayed close to Jack Kennedy and his family. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Lem Billings passed away from a heart attack at 65 in 1981. Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Billings reportedly wrote the future president a love note on a piece of toilet paper (pictured at the Kennedys' Palm Beach estate), JFK was famous for his womanizing habits, but one of his closest relationships was withLem Billings. As they became close, Billings confided that his relationship with Kennedy was, in fact, sexual, to a point. While on the road, the only person he touched base with was Lem Billings. at a General Shoe store, Emerson Drug Company VP, and an advertising executive He's just like Jack!' 'But Bobby was doing a little more than some of the rest of us - a little more and maybe harder stuff than the rest of us.'. Like the rest of the free world, Billings was devastated when President Kennedy was assassinated. And Bobby was sort of always unkempt.'. The only ties he now had to his family while in school was Lem Billings. Kirk LeMoyne Billings, a retired advertising executive and a friend of President John F. Kennedy, died Wednesday at his Manhattan apartment. Her moods could swing drastically. But Kennedy's reaction to Billings gay come-on soon changed and he became more amenable to his friend's advances, according to the writer Lawrence J. Quirk, author of 'The Kennedys in Hollywood.' Funeral homes; Help and advice. Billings had actually fallen in love with Bobby as he had fallen in love with Bobby's uncle Jack when they had become close chums while working together on the Choate [their prep school] yearbook. Unlike Millbrook and Pomfret, Palfrey Street was a day school, so Billings arranged with the Brode family of Cambridge to house and feed him, and watch out for him. Kirk LeMoyne "Lem" Billings (April 15, 1916 - May 28, 1981) was a close and long-time friend of President John F. Kennedy and the Kennedy family. The funeral will be held in Pittsburgh. Beyond the senator, young Bobby's aunt Jackie had inquired about his welfare but never visited.'. While the photo of Kennedy cozying up to Monroe is the best known of him with one of his purported lovers, other far less public snapshots show the flip side of Kennedy's intimate relationships. Kirk LeMoyne "Lem" Read More. Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful, Address: 743 Stoltenberg Center, Genovevaville, NJ 59925-3119, Hobby: Surfing, Sailing, Listening to music, Web surfing, Kitesurfing, Geocaching, Backpacking. And, for once, Billings, who serves as the story's narrator, has as big a voice as the Kennedys. This was at the end of their final presidential debate at Hofstra University in New York in October, 2008. 'I never could figure out why Ethel would let Lem have such an intimate relationship,' he once declared. "Yesterday was Jack's birthday. . The Cold War was still raging, and there was fear Russian agents might use the friendship against Kennedy. Lem had several jobs including selling Coca-Cola dispensers to drugstores, working He had his own room in the It was Bobby Kennedy Jr. who gave the eulogy. Jerry Oppenheimer For Dailymail.com. Kirk LeMoyne "Lem" Billings and Mary Lasker attend a party at the New York City home of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. On June 14, 1977. What if Jacqueline Bouvier had chosen differently? But Bayard says that the reality of their marriage including years of reporting about Jack's infidelities gave him a "degree of empathy" for Jackie when approaching her character in the novel. Even when Bobby was invited to weekend lunches at the Bontecou estate, it was Billings who accompanied him. 'But we never saw Ethel. Their very intimate relationship would last from those school days to Billings even having a room in the Kennedy White House - distressing for the first lady - to the day of Kennedy's assassination. lifelong close friend of President John F. Kennedy. Millbrook School would be the first of three schools that Bobby would attend before he was able to secure a high school diploma. Bobby had believed Billings' every word. Kennedy and Billings met in 1933 in their sophomore year at Choate Rosemary Hall, an exclusive Connecticut prep school. Featuring interviews with Ben Bradlee, Gore Vidal, Ted Sorenson, friends, family, and many . All in all, there's a certain relief in being able to retreat into the Crestline's back seat. ', Jacqueline Kennedy was reportedly unhappuabout her husband and Billings' three decade long relationship. Kirk Billings, 65, Dies; Friend of the Kennedys, https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/29/obituaries/kirk-billings-65-dies-friend-of-the-kennedys.html. One of the most credible accounts of the Kennedy-Billings relationship was told by David Pitts, who I interviewed extensively for my book, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.And The Dark Side Of The Dream, because the strapping, bespectacled Billings, with a high-pitched, effeminate voice, would later become the fawning surrogate father and fellow drug user of JFK's nephew, Bobby Kennedy Jr., with whom Billings also had intense romantic feelings. Quirk alleged thatBilling and Kennedys relationship included oral sex with JFK always being on the receiving end. "I loved the idea of Lem being the go-between for the two lovers and being broker for Jack but also a confidante for Jackie," he says. Girls in these days are instructed to shoot out a clean, firm thread of inquiry at all times. 'Sometimes I answered the phone and I would hear her wispy voice, and then I would get my husband to talk to her.'. 'Bobby was Machiavellian. "He also reveals that there was this crucial moment," says Bayard. JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century 1917-1956, 6. While JFK is legendarily known as a master womanizer who frequently cheated on his first lady, his curious three-decades long intimate friendship with Billings suggests more than a simple bromance. He says Billings even had his own room in the White House, much to Jackie Kennedys chagrin. 'There was no gnashing of teeth and sobbing in the context of his leaving. Jack Kennedy and Lem Billings met at Choate and remained friends until the Dallas gunfire that ended Kennedy's life thirty years later. ", Bayard learned something else about Jackie during his research. And seated close to Kennedy is his shirtless, tanned and oiled best friend forever, his very gay chum, Kirk LeMoyne 'Lem' Billings. During the night of May 28, 1981-almost two decades after JFK's untimely death - 65-year-old Lem Billings died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. a year so that he and Kennedy could graduate from Choate together in 1935," When we first happen upon her, her face is angled away, as though she's cocking her ear for a nightingale. education of free black Americans after the Confederate States of America was In Lem, Jack found a confidant and caretaker; Jack was frequently ill while at Choate, but Lem kept his spirits high . 'He played with Bobby, if you will, more than a father probably would, was just devoted to him, and there was reallyl honest affection between them.'. ", Their arrangement, Quirk asserted, "enabled Jack to sustain his self-delusion that straight men who received oral sex from other males were really only straights looking for sexual release," and he further observed, "Jack was in love with Lem being in love with him and considered him the ideal follower adorer.". 'But Lem,' he clearly recalled, 'was around a lot, and we as faculty were told who he was and that he was Bobby's caretaker, as it were, in a loco parentis kind of role. In the early spring of 1971, Bobby was being carefully watched by the administration because of drugs. ", "I thought, 'What a great cat-bird seat he would've had, and wouldn't he make a great narrator?' . As Fanning recalled years later, 'The room was filthy and Bobby let the bird, which perched on the bust of his father, s**t all over the place, including all down that bust of his dead father. He accepted it.' He was also plagued by ill health. If pressed, she'll fall back on the weather. While the 35th president has been legendarily known as a womanizer who frequently cheated on his wife, Oppenheimer alleges that JFK's three-decades-long relationship with his former prep school. 'We had a couple of calls from Jackie - "How's my nephew doing?" Heide Knop. F. 'Everybody was at least smoking pot - everybody - and a lot of people were doing LSD and other recreational stuff,' recalled classmate John Seibel, who became an attorney. Published online July 6, 2017. Get out of my life.'. The first time Kirk Lemoyne 'Lem' Billings was introduced to Bobby Kennedy Jr. the two spent several hours alone in the boy's room at fabled Hickory Hill, Robert and Ethel Kennedy's historic,. Lem even wrote John a love note on toilet paper . Kennedy was allegedly on the receiving end of oral sex. And it's a kind of interesting love triangle between these three fascinating people.". Writer Gore Vidal once called Billings the chief f****t at Camelot and said Kennedy felt quite comfortable in the company of homosexuals as long as they were smart enough to hold his interest.. RELATED:Jeffrey Epstein's Relationship With Princess Diana Explored In New Book. Billings was devastated after the JFK assassination. JFK's Best Friend Lem: Transcript. For Billings, a year older than the future president, it was love at first sight and from the instant they met Billings was sexually attracted to the handsome scion of America's so-called royal family. He was kind of sinister. She might be a cashier at the Montelle Pharmacy or Finland's deputy chief of mission, and you won't know until you've pulled up in front of her apartment building and seen her tottering through the front gate, a blonde in a crew-neck cardigan or a brunette in a bullet bra, and it's always the latter who raises her hand for you to kiss and the former who comes at you straight on like an encyclopedia salesman, and whoever it is remains "Miss" in our conversation until such time as the business is consummated, at which point she devolves into her component parts. Billings was buried near his mother's grave in his hometown of Pittsburgh. (See below for an exclusive excerpt.). Supposedly Billings had written a love note on a piece of toilet paper while the two were still in school. Quirk had met Billings in the mid-Forties when both were volunteers in Jack Kennedy's first congressional campaign. whom Lem was also close to, died, Lem became exceedingly depressed and that caused 'And there he was hunting rats out of that pile of dead sheep and cow carcasses. Years later, when Bobby was an undergraduate at Harvard, it would be Billings the boy's Svengali-like surrogate father who took control of his life after RFK's assassination who would convince Bobby that one day he could become the next Kennedy president of the United States. ', Their arrangement, Quirk asserted, 'enabled Jack to sustain his self-delusion that straight men who received oral sex from other males were really only straights looking for sexual release,' and he further observed, 'Jack was in love with Lem being in love with him and considered him the ideal follower adorer. In both the book and real life, Bayard explains that Billings played a key part in the couple's romance. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 'I can't say that I saw him put a needle in his arm,' he stated, 'but he talked like he was and he bragged about it. It was Bobby Kennedy Jr. who gave the eulogy. His classmates were worried that he was going to kill himself, that we were going to find him dead.'. Lem Billings was a strapping, bespectacled, 'grizzly- bearish' fellow with big feet and a large head topped by curly, dirty blond hair, who always seemed to be smiling. When JFK was assassinated, he turned his attention to his nephew Bobby Kennedy Jr. Lem Billings and John F Kennedy were practically inseparable in prep school. . David Pitts, the author of Jack and Lem: The Untold Story of an Extraordinary Friendship, told him: Lem was a gay man and he had a 14-year-old, good-looking kid living in his house with him and there had been rumors because of that. I shoot him a look, and he saysimagine the offhandednessthat we have an additional passenger. Lem Chesmore is a 34-year-old Billings native who grew up on the sport of boxing, first competing in 1980 at the Boys and Girls Club located on South 28th Street. I have no evidence one way or another, but I would discount [any sexual activity.]. Where sits a girl. In her memoir, Times To Remember, published eleven years after Jack's assassination in Dallas in 1963, she wrote that Billings had 'remained Jack's lifelong close friend, confidant, sharer in old memories and new experiencesHe has really been part of 'our family' since that first time he showed up at our house as one of 'Jack's surprises. President Kennedy with his wife, Jacqueline, and Texas governor John Connally with his wife, Nellie, in the presidential limousine, minutes before the assassination.