RICHMOND - WILLIAM “BILL” MELVIN
Bill Richmond of Medicine Hat, Alberta, passed away peacefully in the care of the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital on Friday, September 4th, 2009 at the age of 89 years. Bill was born in Mediville, Nova Scotia on December 21st, 1919 and soon moved to Oxdrift, Ontario for four years and subsequently to Southwest Saskatchewan where he lived his early years in and around a number of small communities including Edgehill, Eastleigh, Mortlach and Courval.
Bill was very mechanically inclined and was of great assistance to his father and others in local businesses and farming. He then worked as a ranch hand for a time until the start of the Second World War. Bill enlisted into the 3rd Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery at Regina in 1940 and served with the first Canadian Division during the war, seeing service in England, Sicily, Italy, Belgium and Holland. Bill met the love of his life, Helen Mair Keown, in Scotland where they were married. At
the end of the war, Bill and Helen returned to Southwest Saskatchewan farming for a few years and eventually moving to Moose Jaw where Bill worked for Agriculture Canada at the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA). There, he was the fleet control and maintenance supervisor for most of his career until his retirement in 1984. Bill was an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion and had many mechanically oriented hobbies such as boat building, vehicle, radio, TV and electrical appliance repair....all of which made him extremely popular among his friends and relatives. When not
tinkering, Bill enjoyed weekends and vacations with the family at Grandview Beach on Last Mountain Lake in the cottage and on the boat that he had
built. During his retirement, Bill continued to tinker in his shop (garage) before he and Helen moved to Medicine Hat in 1997 to be closer to family. Bill was predeceased by his beloved wife, Helen in 2003; his parents, Arthur in 1954 and Margaret in 1988; and his brother, Vernon in 2000. Bill loved and enjoyed spending time with his family and will be dearly missed by his daughter and three sons, Sandra Clancy (Gerry), Wesley (Glenys), Barry (Martha) and Brian; seven grandchildren, Sean, Lisa, Ian, Ashley, Ammin, Dillon and Julianna; and one great-grandchild, Piper. A Memorial Service will be held in Medicine Hat at a date yet to be determined. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to saamisfc@telus.net, subject-heading Bill Richmond. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to SAAMIS MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL AND CREMATORIUM, “The Chapel in the Park”, Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Should you wish any additional information, please telephone 1-800-317-2647.