William Austin Downs

He will be greatly missed by his wife, Raiven; daughters, Zelaya and Kirah; parents, William and Karla; brother, Danny (Kim); niece, Peyton; nephew, Maxwell; son, Trey; and numerous relatives and friends.

He will be remembered for his passion for the game of baseball, as a player and then passing his love along through coaching, inspiring many with a lasting impact. He coached numerous teams to championships at all levels with boys and all-girls teams.

Will was known for being able to get the best of any player on his team; he cared about them and wanted to see them grow. Most of all he wanted them to love the game as much as he did. Every player he coached was gifted with a special nickname, many of which still stick with them.

Not only players, Will mentored countless other coaches. He was always looking to strengthen various baseball programs, especially fostering more female coaches.

A private ceremony will be held at Memories Funeral Home on Saturday, February 6 at 3:00 pm MST. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this is by invitation only. Those who are wishing to join the family for the service via live stream, please use the following link: https://www.oneroomstreaming.com/view/authorise.php?k=161248527399162

Once summer is upon us and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, we are hoping to do a final celebration of Will’s life on a ball diamond just the way he would want.

In lieu of flowers, we are collecting donations to continue passing along Will’s love for the game of baseball. In his memory, we would like to provide the opportunity for young ball players to attend winter training camps with Edmonton Padres and Baseball Alberta, as well as training opportunities for coaches. If you wish to donate, please send an e-transfer to or contact [email protected].