Nickie Bethune (Family Friend)

Entered September 21, 2020 from NEWMARKET

Dear Auntie, Karen, Kathy & family, so very sorry to hear of Uncle Bill's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. With sincere condolences,
Nickie, Doug, Tristan, Maya & Xavier

Lesley Rathgeber (Family Friend)

Entered September 21, 2020 from Calgary

Kathy & Family,
I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time.
With Love,
Lesley

Lee Foon Tay (First Cousin of Shui Yun)

Entered September 22, 2020 from Uk

We will meet our fellow Christians again in heaven .

George, Lucy And Elizabeth Le Donne (Friends)

Entered September 22, 2020 from Unionville

We were saddened to hear of Bill’s sudden death. You will be in our prayers.
Our deepest condolences,
George, Lucy and Elizabeth
Xo

Erica Anderson (Friend)

Entered September 22, 2020 from 1169 Haig Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario

Bill was a stalwart and as I knew him, initially as a consultant to the Region and later as a colleague, I gained a deep appreciation for his commitment to his profession and his immense value to the Capital Program of the Region of Halton -- a devoted professional.

William and myself goes back to Sabah College days in 1963 when he was in upper 6 and I was in lower 6. After school he went for an engineering course in Canada and I went to New Zealand for a pharmacy course. We lost contact after that until later when I learned that he had migrated to Canada.

We met later in the late 80s or so when he came back from Canada to visit his siblings and in-laws both of which are also my acquaintances. From then on we were in touch by using the newly invented internet.

It became a normal affair when ever he comes back to Sabah [Malaysia], he will be in my pharmacy the next morning either with a carton of Dunhill cigarette or a carton of Tiger beer because he knows I smoke like a chimney and drinks like a fish but eats like a cat! He will stay to have the favourite stuffed tofu for lunch and goes back for his afternoon nap. I will then arrange either golf, sight seeing or short excursions which have taken him to Mt. Kinabalu golf course, the tip of Borneo,cruise around the islands off Kota Kinabalu [KK] and not to mention the back street hawker “ngiu chap” in Tamparuli. Of course these are not done in a single trip but over the course of many years of return trips to KK. Sometimes Oi Pin will join us if she was in town visiting her parents at that time.

I found William a fun loving person with a good sense of humour (because I don't have to explain my jokes to him) and he loves travelling . He has been my good and trusted friend for almost 60yrs.

I will certainly will miss him and may his soul rest in peace.

It’s with a heavy heart that I remember my long time friend Bill Kong from Sabah Malaysia. I got to know Bill well when we were 1st year engineering students in University of Manitoba, Winnipeg in September 1964. We shared an apartment during one of our undergraduate years and then lived in the same University College residence. Bill returned to Sabah to work after his graduation then immigrated back to Canada. We met up with Bill and Shui Yun when they moved to Toronto in 1975 (I think) and resumed our close friendship ever since. We met often and went on several trips together. We were all saddened with his sudden departure on September 15, 2020. It was a great fortune and blessing that Rose and Thomas Kwan arranged a lunch get together at their house the previous Friday (9/11) so that we could have a chance to meet with Bill during this COVID19 reprieve. Little did any of us know that this would be the last time that we get to see Bill. Nevertheless, we are glad that we at least have this opportunity to meet and talk to him one last time.

In a way, Bill’s passing is a blessing. Bill has lived a long and happy life with a loving family. He can now finally be released from the frustrations and grips of Parkinson, and from what I hear, he passed away peacefully in his sleep without much suffering. As an old man myself, that’s all I can ask for. Rest in Peace, Bill!

I had known Bill since 1964 when he was a first year engineering student at U of Manitoba while I was rooming with Greg at the UC residence. He came to visit Greg at the residence sometimes and so we met.

Bill always struck me as a very sincere, helpful, frank and straight forward guy and a nice friend to have.

Though the geographical distance did not allow us to meet as often as we would like, we still kept in touch throughout the past half a century through emails and phone calls, thanks to the modern technology and affordable phone calls.

There was one thing that I would always remember about Bill and that was his Laughing — that strong, loud, carefree and extremely infectious laugh ! That unmistakable trademark of Bill will remain with us for a long time.

I would relate a short story in that regards.

Three couples of us were on a cruise from Vancouver to Tianjing, China in the Fall of 2006, Shui Yun & Bill, William and Maisie Cheung, Ching Fong and I and we were getting on board in Vancouver separately. After checking in, Ching Fong and I went to get some refreshments at the buffet lounge of this gigantic ship holding about 3000 passengers. All of a sudden, I heard this loud laughing voice and I immediately told Ching Fong that Bill was in the lounge though the last time we saw him was in 1995 ! Nobody else in my circle of friends could laugh like that. We subsequently had a wonderful cruise together, even staging a very special ‘birthday party‘ on board the ship for Shui Yun.

We were in two different trips together later on, one to the Silk Road, China and the other his hometown, Sabah. There were both memorable and very enjoyable trips and Bill was the organizer for both of these trips. It was well organized and flawlessly executed, meticulous to the last detail. Thanks for the memories, Bill.

We will all miss you and your laugh, Bill and may you Rest In Peace.

Ching Fong and I wish you and your family the best, Shui Yun and you take good care of yourself. With so many good friends around you 我們沒有什麼不放心的.

Roy

From Danny and Oi Pin Chang

We are so sad that William has left us.

He was our good friend from school days in Sabah 60 years ago.

We well remember the day 46 years ago, soon after we arrived in Canada, when we were very pleasantly surprised with William and Shui Yun knocking on our door. Through the years since we have enjoyed their friendship and hospitality and shared many happy memories of times together, including all the holiday trips that we went on.

William had a charming personality, was kind, caring, and generous. It was no surprise that he was a dear friend to so many of us.

William was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He and Shui Yun brought up fine daughters and we grieve with his family for their loss.

We will miss him.

All Is Well

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.


By Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)
Canon of St Paul's Cathedral