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Ackland, William Delbert (Bill), MMR#149 –
On February 15, 2023, Bill peacefully boarded the train for his final destination surrounded by caring people at LaPointe Fisher Nursing Home, Guelph. We hope his spirit is reunited with the love of his life, the late Barbara Mellett who died in 2021.
Memories of Bill remain forever in the hearts of his daughter, Kristin Butts (Brad), grandchildren, Alex Boyd (Amanda Busby) and Tasha Vengrzhanovski (Slava), and great-grandchild, Emma Vengrzhanovski.
Predeceased by his loving parents, Edgar and Ruby Ackland, cousin Sonya Carswell, former spouse, Marianne (Whaley) Ackland, brother in-law Jay Whaley, and sister in-law Teresa Whaley.
Remembered with affection by his brothers and sisters in-law, Lorraine Whaley, Richard Whaley, Patricia Crosby (Gary), Mark Whaley (Charlotte), Kasey Locke (Steve), Janis Buttee (Gary), and many nieces and nephews.
Bill was born in Brockville, Ontario in 1937. He grew up swimming, skating, and boating on the St. Lawrence River. As a young man, he was a proud member of Scouts Canada. In his teenage years he enjoyed driving cars and motorcycles. Bill’s father, Edgar, introduced him to model railroading at an early age and he developed a passion for trains that became the primary focus of his life.
In 1966 he moved to Waterloo Region to attend the University of Waterloo Electrical Engineering program. He designed several electric motors for Electrohome, that the company received patents for. In 1969 Bill built his first HO scale model railroad layout. Gathering other people who had an interest in the hobby, he formed the Doubleheader’s Model Railway Club and sat on the board for many years. Much gratitude goes to the Doubleheader’s members who continue to support his legacy, promote the hobby, and coordinate the annual layout tour for people to enjoy.
Bill built a custom home in Puslinch, Ontario in 1975. There he expanded his layout, completed the scenery, built the structures, painted the people, and hosted weekly operating sessions. This layout became widely known as the STR Railroad. Bill was thrilled to host the STR operators every Monday night and was always interested in helping other people build their layouts. After working hard to meet the requirements, Bill achieved the honour of Master Model Railroader (MMR) from the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA).
Bill is fondly remembered by all the people he connected with through model railroading.
After 32 years in Puslinch, at the age of 70, Bill made the decision to move to Victoria, BC where he established a new life with Barbara. They had fun adventures travelling around and exploring the province. In his spare time, Bill started to build N scale model trains and structures based on the Kaslo and Slocan railway.
Due to health issues, Bill returned to Ontario in 2019 to be near his daughter in Guelph. During his battle with stage four prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and a heart condition, he enjoyed having many of his trains and handmade railroad structures around him. On October 25, 2022 Bill became a resident at LaPointe Fisher Nursing Home where he was accepted into their family.
A special thank you and our blessings go out to all the people with the Guelph General Hospital Ambulatory Care and Oncology team, the ParaMed IALP team, and LaPointe Fisher Nursing Home for their kind, patient, and compassionate care. You are all amazing people and we appreciate you! A sincere thank you to Walter and Maureen Butts, Barbara Polhamus, and Nicole Furfaro for their help and support during a difficult time.
Donations to the Alzheimer’s Society, Canadian Cancer Society, or Diabetes Canada would be appreciated.
Arrangements are entrusted to Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon St, Guelph, ON. Cremation has taken place.
Those who knew Bill are invited to join us for a celebration of his life on Sunday, April 30, 2023 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Archie MacRobbie Hall at the Puslinch Community Centre, 23 Brock Rd S., Puslinch, Ontario (in the community of Aberfoyle).
Wednesday February 15th 2023
Death notice for the town of: Guelph, Province: Ontario
death notice William Delbert Ackland Wednesday February 15th 2023
obituaries notice William Delbert Ackland Wednesday February 15th 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of William Delbert Ackland Wednesday February 15th 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
