William DYE

DYE William April 30, 1919 - October 16, 2009 Our beloved "Deedsee" passed away peacefully at the age of 90 years. Born in Glasgow, the eldest of five children, Bill attended Woodstock school in Northern India where his parents were missionaries. It was during his trips to the local bazaars with his mates that Bill learned the local language, Urdu. He earned a civil engineering degree in London, England before joining the Indian Army at the outbreak of World War ll. When Singapore fell to the Japanese he was taken prisoner of war for 31/2 years. After the war, Bill immigrated to British Columbia. His career in hydroelectric engineering took him back to India for four years and, later, to Afghanistan for two years. Fond memories include playing tennis with friends at Jericho Tennis Club, hiking up Mt. Seymour with his fiance?e searching for powder in the days before chairlifts, bike trips in Ireland and England with the Fry's, skiing, golf and canoe trips with the family in a single canoe around the Bowran and Nitnat Lakes. He never said no to sharing a tot of good Scotch whiskey with his tennis partner and pal Al Copland, particularly after winning the Over 75 Canadian Men's Doubles Championship. At the tender age of 75 Bill took up painting and the portraits of his grandchildren will be cherished forever. Several weeks before his passing, Bill could be seen around town driving his red Miata convertible. Bill is survived by Iris, his loving wife of 53 years, his daughter, Michelle (Tom), his son, Bill Jr. (Karen), his six grandchildren, Danielle, Cam, Liam, Nicole, Holly and Callum, his sister Millie and his brother Ken. May we all have such a full and adventurous life; we will miss you! A celebration of Bill's life will be held Wednesday, October 28th at Jericho Tennis Club 3:00 -5:00 pm. If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice. Published in the Vancouver Sun and/or The Province on 10/23/2009