William Williams

28 August 1938 – 27 August 2021

William (Bill) Robert Williams passed away peacefully on Friday, August 27th at Pinecrest Home for the Aged with his loving companion Adeline (Adie) Johnson by his side, holding his hand as he left this world.

Bill was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. His parents James and Leah Williams had immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1930 with their 3-year-old son James. Bill attended school in Toronto then started a long career with the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO), which later became the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO). In 1961 he transferred to Red Lake in northwestern Ontario, which he said was quite an adjustment for him. He spent the winters in Kenora and after a few years moved there permanently. He became a mechanic for MTO and took early retirement in the 1990s.

Bill was a quiet, gentle and generous man. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed fishing and hunting with friends. He bought a summer home on Chadwick Lake, east of Kenora, and later replaced the small log cabin with a new house and lived there year-round. He loved his home on the lake and the squirrels, chipmunks, foxes and other wildlife. Bill survived major heart surgery in the fall of 2016 and had to move back into town following his recovery. Life was even more precious after that and his last five years were very happy ones.

Bill enjoyed visits with good friends and with Adeline’s family in Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Nestor Falls, Winnipeg, Minnesota and Vancouver. There were also trips to Pinawa, Manitoba and Regina. Sadly he didn’t recover from the stroke he suffered in June of this year. He spent two and a half months in the hospital in Thunder Bay and Kenora and his final nine days at Pinecrest.

Bill was predeceased by his companion of thirty years, Mary Melnick Ballantyne (2012), his parents, his brother James Gordon Williams (2010) and his niece Marion Elizabeth Williams (2017).

He is survived by Adeline, his nephew Robert Williams, great-nieces Charlotte and Felicity, and Charlotte’s children. He will be dearly missed by Adeline and her family, her sons Perry and Barry, close friends Mike and Cathy Melnick and many others.

Thank you to the nurses and doctors at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, 2nd floor, for their excellent care during Bill's time there. Thank you also to the nurses and staff at Pinecrest for their kindness and compassion during his short stay.

A combined Celebration of Life will be held in the future for Bill and Adie when her time comes to be with him again.