William Stephen Hlina

We are deeply saddened to report the passing of William (Bill) Hlina. January 9, 1928 - March 5, 2026. He is survived by his children, Joanne of Vernon, Steven (Sally) of Gainford, AB, and Jim (Colleen) of Kanata, ON, as well as 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, brothers Joseph, Wally, Frank, and Martin, and sisters Sophie and Anne.

Bill was born in Kamloops on January 9, 1928 to Celia and Joseph Hlina of Notch Hill, spending his youth on their farm. Here he gained his love for, and expertise in, gardening.

Bill started out as a “call-boy” for the CPR, where his job (pre-telephones) was to ride his bike (often with an oil lantern) through the village knocking on doors to let the railroaders know when they had to be at work. Soon he was on the trains as a fireman, shovelling coal to keep the steam engines running. After 42 years with the CPR, mostly in Revelstoke and Kamloops, he retired from his long-term position as a locomotive engineer.

As a dedicated badminton player, Bill competed in tournaments around BC, Canada, and the U.S. He was proud of winning several “grand slams,” which were first place wins in each region during the year. He especially enjoyed the many world tours he took with other badminton players, meeting people from other countries on their home courts.

After retirement, Bill spent 25 peaceful years at Lee Creek on Shuswap Lake. He enjoyed hosting monthly poker games with friends there and took many trips to Reno and Silver Reef with his buddies to play blackjack. But his favourite times of the year were his annual fishing trips to Douglas Channel with his brothers and a rotating group of friends. As well, his annual hunting trips to their “shack” north of Prince George usually got him some moose meat for the freezer, and an enjoyable Thanksgiving dinner with his buddies and neighbours.

Bill spent his retirement “scratching around” his patch of land at Lee Creek, maintaining a big garden and protecting his fruit trees from marauding bears. His succession of Siamese cats followed him around faithfully. Bi-annual picnics at the lake were great opportunities for his extended family to reconnect, and the food was always delicious and plentiful.

He moved to Vernon in 2016 to spend the last few years of his life, impatiently outwaiting winter till his beloved Blue Jays were playing again.

The family extends their sincerest thanks to the nurses, care aides, and administrators at Creekside Landing for their care of Bill over the past several years. He was extremely appreciative of their care and support.