William George (Bill) McBeth, 81, died on
August 14 at Fort St John Hospital and Health Centre surrounded by his family.
He leaves his wife of 58 years, Lois (Clarke); daughter, Rhonda and husband Paul O’Toole; sons, Basil and wife Connie, Dennis and wife Anika, Dwayne and wife Kathy, Douglas and wife Denice; seven grandchildren, sister Gayle and husband Jim Sketchley;brothers, Norman and wife Mary, Lorne and wife Ruby and their families. Bill was predeceased by his parents George and Gertrude and his brothers Jim and Bob.
Bill was born in Edgerton, Alberta on April 09, 1930 and moved to the South Peace with his family in 1933, settling in the district of Arras. In his early twenties he worked in Yukon for the Geological Survey of Canada. Bill became involved in the forest industry working for his future brother in law, Mel Clarke. He met his wife Lois at Mel Clarke’s sawmill and were married in 1953. The following summer, they worked as cook and horse wrangler with a pack train hunting party. The guided hunt covered a large remote area through the mountains and eventually led them to the headwaters of the Muskwa River.
They lived at Montney for several years, and then settled down in their house on the airport road where they raised their family of five children. Bill worked for Swanson Lumber, which became Canfor, and then started his own sawmill which he built himself.
Bill was a Canadian history buff and treasured the time he could spend travelling in northern BC and Yukon. His favourite spot was at his property at Liard River fishing and mastering his craft of log cabin building. He travelled to Australia twice with Lois to visit his extended family the Bennetts.
A funeral service was held on August 18th, 2011 at the Peace Lutheran Church in Fort St John, followed by interment at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Many thanks to the staff at the North Peace Care Centre, the staff in Palliative Care at the Fort St John Hospital and Health Centre, and Reverend Marilyn Carroll.