William Coolidge, known to his friends and family as Bill, passed away suddenly September 6, 2004 at his home on the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve.
Survived by his wife Maxine, with whom he would have shared his 40th wedding anniversary this year, and his daughter, Heather. Also survived by his brother, Bob, and sisters, Thelma (Don), Dorothy and Norma; and many more of his loving family members.
Born March 2, 1938 in Turtleford, Sask., Bill spent his younger years growing up in Saskatoon, enjoying the outdoors and judging by his numerous stories, a great deal of time playing tricks on his younger brother, Bob.
He relocated to British Columbia in 1962 where he met Maxine and they later joined as husband and wife in November of 1964. Early on in their marriage, Bill and Maxine set sail on a freighter bound for the shores of Europe where they traveled extensively for 14 months before returning back to B.C. Heather was born two years later in the summer of 1975.
Bill spent many of his working years as a salesman for various companies, including the local Chilliwack Progress, the Chilliwack Times and Realty World. He was also a member of the Chilliwack Kiwanis Club for a number of years. Bill later on retired; but in 2002 he and his wife took the position of resident caretaker on the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve in Sardis, B.C. They both enjoyed their position there, where they regularly talked of all the wild and wonderful species they observed while out on their daily walks.
During the winter months, when they weren’t caretaking, Bill and Maxine often got away to the warmer climates of the Southern United States and even over to Malaysia and Thailand, before returning back to their position at “Birdland”. Bill and Maxine also spent a great deal of time in Harrison Hot Springs where they had a trailer in the Harrison Holiday Park.
Bill was a loving husband and devoted father who always took care of “his girls”. To many others he was a dear friend, and to those who knew him best, a tireless jokester!
We’ll never forget you Pops…
Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. at Henderson’s Funeral Home in Chilliwack, B.C.