William Austin Banfield

William (Bill) Austin Banfield aged 98 died July 22, 2024 in Burnaby, British Columbia. William was born on June 11, 1926 in Stephenville Crossing, Newfoundland to Charles and Amelia (nee MacEachern) Banfield.

Bill had a remarkable life and remained active and independent up until the last few months before his death. As a teenager in the early 1940s, Bill used his exceptional pool and snooker skills to supplement the family income by playing against American airman stationed at Earnest Harmon Air Force Base. Bill’s adult working life began with a 7-year stint as a meteorologist in Labrador City, and thereafter a 25-year career as a commissioned officer in the Canadian Airforce retiring with rank of Captain. Following his military career Bill spent 3 years with the Canadian International Development Agency beginning in Entebbe, Uganda and thereafter in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Bill retired to Burnaby British Columbia in the mid 1970s.

Bill was an avid sportsman. He enjoyed fishing for salmon and trout in Newfoundland, as well as for perch and tilapia in East Africa. He was also an accomplished golfer, and among his achievements was a hole-in-one at the Entebbe Golf Club. Bill will perhaps be best remembered by family for taking his grandchildren and great-grandchildren for walks through Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia to feed the ducks and squirrels. No visit to grandpa’s was considered complete without this cherished tradition. He was a fixture on the park’s tennis courts, playing doubles into his early 90s. Bill remained a keen snooker player throughout his life, and in his later years was a member of British Columbia’s Seniors Snooker League, winning the single’s title in 2002.

Bill was predeceased by his son Keith (1957) and his wife of 55 years Gertrude (nee Angel) in 2009, as well as by his brothers Robert, Lloyd, and Edgar and sisters Norah and Joan. Left to mourn Bill’s passing are his siblings, Marilyn (LeRoy) of Halifax, Nova Scotia; Charles (Edith) of Deer Lake, Newfoundland; Derek (Elizabeth) of Paradise, Newfoundland; and Kathleen (Brian) of Montreal, Quebec. He is also survived by his son’s Robert (Beverly) of Saanich, British Columbia; David of Hong Kong and Bruce (Renee) of Kingston, Ontario; grandchildren Sarah, Stephanie, Samantha, Kimberly, Benjamin, and Jonathan; and greatgrandchildren Ishak, Hanna, Benjamin and Brianna.

A resilient, intelligent, positive and gentle man. He will be dearly missed.