Bill Daniels

DANIELS, Cecil William “Bill”
1938-2022

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our dear brother and uncle, Bill, on January 13 after an eight-year illness and a final ten-day struggle with Covid-19. Bill had received three Covid vaccinations, but nevertheless became another face of the pandemic. His retirement home, Arbor Trace of London, ON had valiantly fought off the virus for two years prior to Bill’s contagion. Our hearts are broken that we could not be at his side in his final days. Bill was predeceased by his parents Cecil and Bunty, and by his nephew, Andrew. He is survived by his older brother George (Ruth), sister Fay (Phillip), his niece Andrea Russell, and his nephews Nick Russell and Tiff and Chris Daniels.

Bill spent his early years during the War in the Lancashire countryside, within sight of the Liverpool Blitz, and shared his home at times with evacuee children from London. The family came to Canada in 1947, when Bill’s father returned from the War. The trip was an adventure for a nine-year-old aboard the former troopship RMS Aquitania, as was the landing at historic Pier 21. Bill’s mother Bunty, brother George and sister Fay were met in Halifax by Cecil, who had arrived ahead of them. The family settled south of Montreal, where the boys honed their skills in French, skating, skiing, and Bill’s passion: golf. Bill’s adventures as a Queen’s Scout were legendary, and included being stranded by the Richelieu River tide when he and George awoke from their overnight camp spot.

The family settled in Mount Bruno, Quebec; living next to the golf club, Bill became a top caddy and officially caught the golf bug. He was thrilled to meet Arnold Palmer, and amazed when he gave Bill one of his named putters, always one of Bill’s prized possessions. When the family moved to Hamilton, Bill joined the Chedoke Golf Club, and later in life was a fixture at Brantford Golf and Country Club, his second home. He was a marshal at several Canadian Opens. Every member of our family seems to have a gift or trophy donated by Bill from his many tournament winnings. His golf and curling fraternity spread far and wide, and he enjoyed golf trips to North Carolina, Georgia, St. Andrews, Spain, and Portugal, as well as to many Masters and CPA tournaments.
Bill’s career began in the food industry where, as a university student enforcing quality control, he accidentally poisoned himself! He later joined Gorman-Rupp Pumps, where he became the Central District manager. His clients included waterworks, breweries, dairies, and even the space industry. He occasionally accompanied President John Gorman to the Huntsville Alabama Space centre, given the company’s provision of pumps for the space shuttle and the Canadarm. Bill was thrilled to have met US Vice President Spiro Agnew during one such trip.
The Daniels and Russell cottages witnessed many informal family reunions, golf “tournaments”, and hours of reminiscing with Bill. We shall miss our dear brother, and all that he gave to our lives. The family would like to thank the extraordinarily selfless staff at Arbor Trace Memory Care Center who cared for Bill in his final years. Donations are suggested to ReForest London, PO Box 25144, London ON, N6C 6A9 and the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, 20 Eglinton Avenue West, 16th Floor, Toronto ON, M4R 1K8.

Arrangements entrusted with Cremation London & Middlesex, 519-858-2467. Online condolences shared at www.cremationlondon.com.