William Sneddon
Born In: Shotts, United Kingdom
Born: May 5th, 1932
Passed in: Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada
Passed on: September 26th, 2018
It is with great sadness that we announce William Sneddon, age 86, formally of Sydney, passed away at home in Bedford on September 26, 2018. The youngest son of the late William and Jean Sneddon, he was born on May 5, 1932 in Shotts, Scotland. As part of British National Service he served the Royal Air Force as a wireless operator in Hong Kong. Once he realized he didn’t have the necessary skills to be bricklayer, accounting became his career of choice. He then worked for many years with the National Coal Board in Scotland until he moved to Canada in 1966 and settled in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
From 1966 until his retirement in 1994 he worked in a variety of management positions with the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation (Dosco) and the Cape Breton Development Corporation (Devco). Up to the day of his retirement his work colleagues could not believe his patient wife Mona would make and pack his lunch for him in the morning and he never knew what goodies he would find until he opened the bag at work.
He loved and served his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ throughout his life. He was a long-time member and elder at Bethel Presbyterian Church in Sydney, and was the Sunday School Superintendent for many years. If your baby was ever upset at Sunday school then you know he sat on Mr. Sneddon’s lap at some point and had Scottish lullabies gently sung into his ear. He was also an active lay preacher in the Presbyterian church. His messages on Christ’s love, spoken in his distinctive Scottish accent, along with his full-of-life singing voice, became well-known from Neil’s Harbour to Grand River and points in between.
He was also very active in the Scouting movement, serving as a Scout and Cub leader in the groups at Bethel for many years. Even after he stopped being a leader he took on many administrative roles within the movement. Whether at Apple Day, camps at Camp Carter or learning the Grand Howl, many young men and boys were influenced by him.
At home, he loved doing his crossword puzzles, and you could always find the puzzle books scattered in various rooms around the house. In his younger days he often enjoyed a cigar while doing his crosswords, but that ended shortly after Mona made him start smoking in the shed in the backyard. He also loved the poetry of Robert Burns and would begin reciting “Address to a Haggis” when the mood struck him.
He loved to spend time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren, whether it was playing cribbage, watching them on their bikes, pushing them on a swing or screaming while riding Space Mountain at Disney World. They always found events were so much more fun when their enthusiastic Grandpa was involved.
William is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Mona (Sim); daughters Ann (Glenn Wadden), Bedford and Shona (Kevin Lamport), Ladysmith BC and son Gary (Kadre), Halifax, along with grandchildren Linda (Matt Charbonneau), Paul (Hrefna), Jenny (Iain Bauer), Michael, Sean, Tessa, Daniel, Molly, Jonah and Maggie and great-grandchildren Rebecca, Adeline and Bella. Nieces and nephews in Scotland loved their Uncle Wullie and will miss him dearly. He is predeceased by his brothers Jim and David.
There will be no visitation. A service of remembrance will be held on Thursday, October 4, 7pm at Bedford Presbyterian Church, 49 Nelson’s Landing Boulevard, Bedford.
The family is grateful to the help and support we received from the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) in his last days before going to be with his Saviour. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the VON, Bethel Presbyterian Church Sunday school, Scouts Canada or to any mission work that is involved in sharing God’s love to the world.
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (I Corinthians 15: 55-58)
