William Muir

Bill was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba . He graduated from Kelvin high school and then joined the army at age 18 when war broke out, which stopped his continuing studies at Tech Voc. He first enlisted with the Princess Patricia's Canadian light Infantry (PPCLI) and transferred shortly thereafter to the Winnipeg Grenadiers.

He was mobilized and they were sent to Hong Kong, China in December 1941 where - after a bitter battle against overwhelming numbers of Invading Japanese soldiers - he was captured on Christmas Day 1941 and spent 4 horrific years as a POW until freed when the war ended.

Upon returning to Canada, he joined Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA - now known as Air Canada) as a Ticket Agent. Bill married Rhona Hadden in 1947. Together they had a son (Donald) in 1949 and a daughter (Rhona) in 1952. Bill continued to work for Air Canada in several Canadian cities until he retired in 1976. He moved to Comox, BC where he built a cedar house overlooking the Strait of Georgia. He resided on the Island until health reasons and wanting to be closer to his family led him to ultimately reside in Langley, BC where he passed. He was pre-deceased by his wife Rhona in 2006.

Bill was known locally for his sense of humour while having a twinkle in his eye. He was a man of honour and dedication. If he committed to a civic project he would honestly and diligently work to complete it. During his life Bill belonged to several volunteer community organizations which benefitted many people. He was involved in curling, coaching and managing youth hockey, local as well as international speed skating, square dancing, lawn bowling, as well as playing cards. However, his greatest love was travelling the world and experiencing new sights and places. His favourite spot was Barbados in the Caribbean where he loved to soak up the Sun on the beaches. He cherished time spent with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

After a brief illness, Bill passed on Aug 24, 2014 at Langley Hospice knowing he was surrounded at his bedside by his loving family. A family celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements under the direction of Henderson's Langley Funeral Home, Langley, BC.