William “Billy” Saetre passed from this life on October 30th, 2022 at his home in Hamburg, Germany, leaving behind a vast crowd of family, friends and colleagues whose lives he touched in so many ways. All who knew Billy were affected by his enormous heart and generosity, his professorial knowledge of history, and especially his sense of humor and his ability to entertain. A consummate singer and performer, he often said he was born to be on the stage, and his long career in both America and Europe was the proof. Beginning in San Francisco with the San Francisco Opera Merola Program, he performed in various productions in northern California, including Beach Blanket Babylon, the wildly successful San Francisco revue, in which belted out a version of the 20s hit, “Hard Hearted Hannah” dressed as a French Poodle. Moving to Germany in 1991, Billy spent the next 4 years as a prized buffo tenor in the Hildesheim state theater, after which he finished out the 90s singing operatic rol