CONEEN, WILLIAM
William Albert Coneen “Bill”, 87, of Moncton, passed away on March 31, 2015 at the Moncton Hospital. Bill was the son of the late Arnold Richard Coneen and Maude Althea MacAleese, born on August 15, 1927, on the Irishtown Rd, outside of Moncton, in the same house his mother was born in, the second of seven children.
As a young man of 17, with $35 in his pocket, he boarded a train in Montreal and then headed West, working in logging camps and picking fruit in British Columbia; putting up fences, working on farms in Alberta, and then back to Moncton where he bought an old International truck to haul coal. He then met Adelaide Tidd, the “love of his life”, whom he married in 1949. He wrote, “Brother Al was best man. Addie’s sister Shirley was bridesmaid. Married in old farm house with lots of relatives there. Went on a one day honeymoon to Prince Edward Island. Uncle Warman Hopper loaned us his car for one day, 1946 Chev.” In 1958, Bill moved his young family to Brockville, Ontario, where he started a small landscaping business which then grew into what became known as, “Coneen Construction”. Years later, after selling his business, he moved his family back to New Brunswick. Bill was an avid fisherman and enjoyed hunting, gardening and especially wood working.
Bill is survived by his wife, Adelaide; daughters, Debbie (John) Dancause and Shirley (Terry) Olfert; son, Bill (Betty); grandchildren, Andrew Dancause, Jonathan Olfert, Meredeth Olfert, Bronwyn (Olfert) French, Siobhan Olfert, Stephanie Coneen, Will Coneen, Kyle Coneen and Alisha Coneen; step-grandchildren, Jeremy Aubry and Michael Aubry; several great-grandchildren; sisters, Ruth Lloyd, Eleanor (Jack) Trueman; brother, Ted (Lillian) Coneen; sisters-in-law, Anne Coneen and Joan Coneen; and brothers-in-law, Ernie Tidd, Bob (Lucille) Tidd and Donald (Diane) Tidd.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by sister, Marion Devereau; and brothers, Al Coneen and Bob Coneen.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 2 p.m. in Fair Haven Memorial Gardens, 1167 Salisbury Rd, Moncton, NB, with a reception to follow in Fair Haven Funeral Home, 1177 Salisbury Rd, Moncton, NB, E1E 3V9, (506) 852-3530.
We, Bill’s family, are so grateful for the care that he received from the wonderful nurses and sitters at the Moncton Hospital, as well as at Autumn Lee. Also, a thank you to our extended family, who have helped us in so many ways.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice.
Online condolences may be made by visiting: www.fairhavenmemorial.ca