Bill

William Douglas (Bill) Hyde, Oct 17, 1929 – September 18, 2022. Bill passed away at the Bennett Long Term Care facility after a short illness, where he had lived during his last year and received outstanding care and support. He is survived by his devoted wife of 45 years Joan; children, Judith (Julian), Mary (John), Patricia Jane (Jeffrey) and Harold (Julie); grandchildren, Emily, Grace, Michael, James, Sarah, Gregory and Alexander; great-grandchildren, Patrick, Curtis, Eloise, Remi and Marlin; niece Louise (Robert), brother Stuart (Diana) and family and sister-in-law Diane (Austin) and family. Bill is predeceased by his sister Rosemary.

Bill was born in Naini Tal, India and was educated at The Lawrence School, Sanawar, the oldest private boarding school in Himachal Pradesh. In 1946, he and his family were repatriated to Britain where he finished high school in Plymouth. From 1947 through 1952, Bill completed a maintenance engineering apprenticeship program with the Royal Ordinance Factory Woolwich Arsenal.

Bill joined the merchant navy in lieu of national service, sailing for the Cunard and Union Castle lines mainly from Southampton to Cape Town. During a shore leave in Montreal, he fell in love with Canada and resolved to emigrate which he did in 1954. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in 1958 and was certified as a Canadian Professional Engineer in 1963.

Bill married Margaret Clarke in 1956 and worked for various firms in Montreal including Northern Electric, Noranda, Domtar and Standard Brands before becoming a business consultant. He married Joan Sanborn in 1977 and they moved to Georgetown in 1980.

Bill was an avid reader all his life and amassed a large library of non-fiction books on a wide range of subjects. He and Joan were strong supporters of the Anglican Church and spent over 40 years singing in church choirs and the Georgetown Choral Society. After retiring in 2002, Bill spent time managing his investment portfolio, reading, and swimming. He was quite proud that he could swim as many lengths of the pool as his age, well into his 80’s.

A celebration of life will be held at St. George’s Anglican Church, 60 Guelph Street, Georgetown on Saturday, October 1, 2022, with visitation at 10 a.m., funeral service at 11 a.m., then reception and interment at Greenwood Cemetery for family and close friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. George’s Anglican Church, Bennett Village, the Alzheimer Society of Canada or a charity of your choice.