William David Wagstaff
December 16, 1935 –
September 6, 2021
Bill passed away in
the Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville, after a brief
illness.
He is survived by his
wife, Jill; sister, Margaret, of Swansea, Wales; son, David (Sara) of
Nottingham, England; daughter, Rebecca (Pietro) Onorati of Hickling,
England; granddaughters, Laura (Luke) Onorati-Proctor and Sara
Wagstaff; great-granddaughter, Louisa; several nieces and nephews in
Swansea. He was predeceased by his daughter, Debra; sisters, Dorothy
and Anne; brothers, Jack and Leonard. He was so proud of his
children’s and granddaughters’ accomplishments,
and was looking forward to meeting Louisa for the first
time.
Bill was born in
Swansea and attended Dynevor Secondary Grammar School, finishing as
one of the school prefects. It was at Dynevor he discovered his love
for and skill at soccer, playing semi-professionally for several local
teams on the weekends. After grammar school, he went on to the
University of Swansea, graduating with honours in History and
Economics, and then earning a Bachelor of Education. He played with
the university soccer team, and was chosen to be a member of the
British team at the first World University Games. He scored on a
penalty shot in the final game, and helped Britain win the silver
medal. He also played with the Swansea City Swans while at university,
and Nottingham Forest while teaching at Loughborough and
Nottingham.
In 1969, Bill
immigrated to Canada to take a teaching position at West Kings
District High School in Auburn, where he eventually met Jill, and
stayed until his retirement in 1995. He taught several courses over
the years, but his love was Senior English. He inspired and mentored
hundreds of students; produced many West Kings musicals and plays; and
coached school soccer, table tennis and Reach for the Top
teams.
Outside of school, he
coached the Valley Bulldogs Rugby Club for several years, guiding them
to the Maritime Division B Championship in 1995. He loved the
camaraderie of the rugby boys, and took many of the Bulldogs and other
members of the Nova Scotia rugby community on three tours of Wales. He
also served on the Board of Directors of Rugby Nova Scotia. In the
1970’s and 1980’s, he helped to establish soccer
in the Annapolis Valley. Later, he was one of the founders of the
Acadia Axemen Supporters group, whose purpose was to ensure that a
men’s varsity soccer team continued to exist at Acadia. He
also helped to organize the Gunn Baldursson Memorial Soccer Tournament
for several years.
While teaching at West
Kings, he became deeply involved in the NSTU, serving as local
president several times, sitting on many provincial committees, and
acting as a contract negotiator. He worked very hard on behalf of
teachers, helping to improve salary scales and working conditions.
This dedication continued after retirement when he served on the
Provincial Executive of the Retired Teachers
Organization.
Bill was a voracious
reader, often having two or three books on the go at once. He read
many types of books, but among his favourites were history and British
and Scandinavian crime fiction. He was a gifted story teller, a
talented cook, an excellent tennis player, and a skilled Sudoku
solver. He was kind and generous, and had a wicked sense of humour,
delighting in playing practical jokes on unsuspecting victims. He
enjoyed travel and, after her retirement, he and Jill discovered a
love for cruises. He was very fond of music, especially Welsh choirs,
Italian opera and Broadway show tunes; although, unusually for a
Welshman, he couldn’t carry a tune. Although he eventually
became a Canadian citizen, he never lost his love for
Wales.
Cremation has taken
place and, according to Bill’s wishes, there will be no
funeral or memorial service. Instead, there will be a get-together at
the Kings Arms Pub in Kentville, on Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 2
to 4 p.m. Bill spent many happy hours at the pub, playing cards and
darts, watching Premier League and NFL games, and analyzing the
world’s problems. Donations may be made to the SPCA or to
the Annapolis Valley Regional Library. Arrangements have been
entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services,
Kentville. Online condolences and inquiries may be directed to
www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.
Caru ti –
dwi’n colli ti.
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2021
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de William David Wagstaff 2021..
Décès pour la Ville: Kentville, Province: Nova Scotia