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William (Bill) Williams Obituary
At the age of 92, Bill Williams passed away peacefully after a brief illness at High River Hospital on Wednesday October 16th, 2024. Ten years widowed by his wife Anne Williams, who he loved dearly and to whom he devoted many of his retirement years to care for. He will be deeply missed by his adult children; David, Gareth, Huw and Rhiannon; grandchildren, Jacob, Loleini, Trystan and Owain; his daughters-in-law Alyson and Kirsty; and by nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces in Wales/UK, to all of whom he had a fiercely loyal family bond.
Bill was predeceased by his parents Florence and Harold and his siblings Colin, Ken, Dennis, Audrey and Geoff.
The Rivera Retirement Living supported living home in Okotoks, AB had been Bill’s home since January 2022, where the attentive staff cared for Bill as his needs increased, supported by his long term family physician Elize Barnard, who Bill considered a friend.
Growing up in the port town of Cardiff, Wales, during World War II, he often spoke of his experiences growing up during this period, including his earliest memories of spending nights in a dark & damp Anderson air-raid shelter. He lost his father at the young age of 12, leaving him with his fierce loyalty to family bonds. He served in the Royal Engineers and trained as an electrical engineer, later working for 40+ years at the South Wales Electricity Board. He met his wife Anne (from Llanhilleth, Wales) while she was training as a Nurse in Cardiff; after a chance lunchtime meeting between Bill, his friends and a group of trainee nurses in a Cardiff cafe, an invite to a party in nurses dorms (against strict residency rules) and making their grand entrance, under cover of darkness, through a side window. Together they made their family home in the picturesque village of Pentrych, Mid-Glamorgan, Wales where they made many close friends and where they raised all four of their children.
In September 2005, Anne and Bill moved to Calgary to be near their grandchildren. Shortly after their move, Anne moved to a long term care facility but Bill’s loyalty and devotion to Anne meant he hardly missed a lunchtime or supper visit throughout all her years in residence.
Bill, with Anne at his side and both working full-time, somehow managed to juggle careers with raising a family (Bill’s whistling and bedtime lullabies being much loved by his young children and Anne’s cooking and baking being legendary), their home often inhabited with aging grandparents and endless teenage friends of their children, who well-knew the welcome and the feed they would get at the Williams’ house.
Bill was a practical man who extended the family home as their family grew, and with Anne, involved and encouraged his young children in growing vegetables, camping, sailing/boating, fishing, hiking, sports, etc., leaving his children with a spirit of independence and self-sufficiency, as well as instilling a love of the outdoors, which ultimately led them to Canada. Bill was an accomplished golfer, winning the Whitchurch Golf Club’s President’s Cup in early retirement, a goal he’d had for many years; He leaves a legacy of strong family connections between Canada and Wales.
A Private Family gathering will be held.
Forward condolences through www.snodgrassfuneralhomes.com.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to The Alzheimer Society of Calgary, Suite 201, 222 – 58th Avenue S.W., Calgary, AB T2H 2S3, Telephone: (403) 290-0110, www.alzheimercalgary.com. In loving memory of Anne Williams, as Bill would have wanted.
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February 4 1932
October 16 2024
Death notice for the town of: Okotoks, Province: Alberta
death notice William Bill Williams February 4 1932
October 16 2024
obituaries notice William Bill Williams February 4 1932
October 16 2024
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of William Bill Williams February 4 1932
October 16 2024 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
