Obituary of William John "Bill" North

NORTH, Capt. William John "Bill" — 77, Halifax, passed away suddenly at home February 8, 2010. Born in Dorchester, England, he was a son of the late William Henry and Ruth (Gratwicke) North. He will be sadly missed by wife, Mary; sons, Robert (Lisa), Manchester, N.H.; Andrew (Jacqueline), Melbourne, Australia; Christopher (Megan), Ottawa; grandchildren, Aiden and Lachlan, Australia; brother, Mike (Diana) and sister, Diana (Alan), Australia; half-siblings, Tessa, Henry, and Robert, England; and nieces and nephews. Bill grew up in the South of England during the Second World War. After graduating from naval academy, Bill joined the British Merchant Navy where he rose to the rank of Captain and Master Mariner. After serving in the investigation of the Ocean Ranger disaster with the Canadian Coast Guard, Bill joined the off-shore oil industry where he captained rigs off the coast of Newfoundland, Scotland, and South America. Bill was a huge sports fan and especially loved watching his boys play hockey, soccer, football, track and field, volleyball, and rugby. Bill loved to read novels and non-fiction and he was an avid fly-fisherman and gardener. Visitation will be held in J. Albert Walker Funeral Home, Halifax, on Sunday, February 14, from 1- 4 p.m. Donations may be made in Bill's memory to The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. On-line condolences may be made by visiting: www.walkerfh.com