WILLIAM EDWARD JONAS

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WILLIAM EDWARD JONAS Bill passed away peacefully at Victoria General Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba on March 24, 2017 at age 87. Bill leaves behind his children Margaret Donohoe (Keith) of Morris Manitoba, Marilyn Jonas (Don Larson) of Bjorkdale, Saskatchewan, and Bob Jonas (Linda Loftus) of Kamloops, British Columbia. He also leaves six grandchildren: Gwen Donohoe (Casey Odershaw) and Amanda Donohoe of Winnipeg; Neil Donohoe of Morris; and Katelyn, Jeremy, and Justin Larson of Saskatoon. Also left to mourn his loss are his sister Patricia Varty, (Charles) and family of Peterborough, Ontario; his sister in-law Eleanor Fairhead, (Gerry) and their family in Toronto and area; and his brother-in-law Ron Haines (Joan), and their family also in the Toronto area. Bill also leaves numerous friends and colleagues in The Pas, Winnipeg, and across Canada. He was predeceased by his wife Shirley, his parents, Selma and Ingram, his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Ruth and George Varty, and his sister-in-law Virginia Haines. Bill was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1929, and lived there for most of his youth. He was industrious from day one; delivering groceries by bicycle, performing janitorial work at the local YMCA, and working on farms in New Brunswick and Ontario over several summers. He used the proceeds of his work to enjoy outings with friends and to further his collection of music, including a variety of artists involved with Big Band, Swing, Jazz, and Dixieland. Bill attended the same high school as Shirley, but didn't get up the nerve to ask her out until they were both attending their first year at the University of Toronto. In 1952, Bill graduated with a degree in forestry and Shirley from teachers college. They were married on July 26 of that summer and immediately headed for the bush, bog, and black flies, in no-mans-land, north of Lake Superior. Bill and Shirley spent the next 15 years in various logging communities north-east of Thunder Bay, where he learned his trade from the ground up, in various operations and forestry positions; while Shirley taught in one-room schools and took the lead in raising their three children. In 1966, Bill made a career move to Terrace, British Columbia as Assistant to the Woodlands Manager and Operations Planning and Control Superintendent for Twin River Timber Ltd. He spent three years with Twin River before moving the family east to The Pas, Manitoba where a new pulp mill and associated Woodlands operation were being set up. Bill worked as Chief Forester for what was then, Churchill Forest Industries, a predecessor of Repap Manitoba. A year later, he took on the role of Woodlands Manager, for Repap, managing the purchase, production, delivery and processing of logs from an area of 108,000 square kilometers. He also ran the Lumber Division for 10 years. Bill continued his oversight of the Woodlands operation at The Pas for 23 years, through various corporate changes, to his retirement from Tolko Industries in 1992. Bill and Shirley had a wonderful life together. They enjoyed the pursuit of distant lands and horizons during their working careers and for over 20 years in retirement. Their travels included all the coasts (west, east, and north) in Canada, and south, east, and west in the U.S. They traveled the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, and many parts of Europe. Bill's last major trip was through the Panama Canal by cruise ship, which he enjoyed with his granddaughter Gwen, in 2016. He was a dedicated Rotarian who enjoyed volunteering for community events. Due to age and associated health issues, he and Shirley made the difficult decision to leave their beautiful home on Clearwater Lake, and all of their many friends in The Pas, and move to a senior's assisted living apartment in Winnipeg in July of 2014. Bill will be remembered for the continuing and lasting contribution he made to the lives of those around him, whether it be family, work colleagues, or friends. He will be missed. A celebration of life for Bill will be held later this spring. If friends wish, they may make a donation in Bill's name to Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Bardal Funeral Home 204-774-7474 Condolences www.bardal.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 01, 2017