William Grant McCachen

Born in 1934 in Thamesford, Ontario, Bill was the second child of Grant and Nellie McCachen and a brother to sisters Barbara and Bonnie. He spent his childhood and young adult years in Aurora, Ontario. When he wasn’t attending school or playing hockey, he worked alongside his parents, sisters, and family friends at the Ridge Inn, a family business run by his parents until their retirement. He met his future wife Norma (née Wells) in high school, where they performed in school theatre productions together. They married in 1955, had four children, and spent 70 years together.

After high school, Bill attended the University of Toronto, receiving his degree in mechanical engineering in 1959. His thriving career in the compressor and gas turbine business took him and his family to many places across the continent from Toronto to California, to New Jersey, to Milwaukee, and finally back to Calgary in 1974. There, as president of Canadian operations of Dresser-Rand until his retirement in 1997, he and Norma lived for 40 years. Throughout his career, Bill was known for his integrity, expertise, warmth and humour. He was respected and trusted by clients and colleagues alike. Bill remained active and involved in his community. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, camping, and time with his expanding family at the cottage in Windermere. He made many new friends during the time he and Norma spent in Arizona. When they moved to Parksville, BC in 2014, he continued to be an involved community member, joining the strata council, the wine club, the book club, and in the true spirit of someone raised in the hospitality business, taking a lead role in organizing food, wine and music for community events and family celebrations. He loved travelling, remained curious about the world and its history throughout his life. He also loved music, and returned to playing the ukulele after his retirement. Any good beat could get him up and dancing.

In addition to his love for his wife Norma and large family, Bill inherited from his father, a love for fishing, both in fresh and saltwater. Bill’s childhood experiences pike fishing led to trout fishing and later ocean fishing with friends, family and all his best customers. In retirement, he paired with son Mike to enjoy west coast salmon fishing, exploring the waters near Campbell River with a cadre of like-minded adventurers, sometimes accompanied by his youngest son, Steve. He had many stories to tell, with laughter, joy and always a huge grin, about his fishing experiences that began during his boyhood and continued until the day he died.

Bill’s good humour and happy exuberance touched many people. He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, joking around the dinner table, the campfire, or cribbage board. For them, he was always “grandfather, never grandpa” and he instilled in them the family values and traditions he grew up with: to meet life with steadfast courage, treat everyone with honesty and integrity, to look for the good in people, and to offer a seat at the table and lively conversation to everyone who showed up at his door. He always found a way to connect whether it was with clients, colleagues, neighbors, friends of his children or of his children’s children; all of them remember his warmth and speak of him with affection. His son Steven summed it up when he said, “He was the best father anyone could have.”

Bill will be deeply missed by his wife Norma, his sister Bonnie, his four children Ariel, Janice (Pierre), Michael (Candace), and Steven (Deb), his twelve grandchildren, Shea, Kyle, Matthew, Levi, Claire, Joel, Rose, Kyle S., Laura, Zachary, Rowan, and Jordan, and great grandchildren Alice, Lucy, Luella, Cruz, Summer, and a new baby on the way, along with a host of nephews, nieces and extended family and friends near and far.

A memorial service for Bill will be held at a later date.

The family wishes to acknowledge the outstanding health care team of the ICU at the Royal Jubilee Hospital; the compassion, care, and kindness they extended to Bill and his family during his last days will always be remembered with gratitude. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to The Victoria Jubilee Hospital (Critical Care): https://www.victoriahf.ca/donatetoareaofcare/