Bill HUSTON

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HUSTON: Bill was born on November 19, 1941 in Manitou, Manitoba to James and Agnes Huston. He was welcomed by his two sisters Eunice and Ellen. His brother Ron “Spike” followed a few years later. The family moved from the farm in Manitou to Brandon when Bill was around 5 years old. Family time consisted of card games (Grand Nula or Crib) every Sunday or whenever there was a family gathering. Bill was an East End Boy through and through. The friends he made back then, were still very dear to him up until his passing. Being an East End boy, was the foundation for him to be a good teammate, community member, neighbour and all-around good guy. To say Bill was a natural athlete, is an understatement. A friend sent an article from the Brandon Sun written by Bruce Penton from years ago. The opening paragraph says, “If there was an Olympic pentathlon event consisting of fastball, bowling, curling, golf and broomball, (with poker as an optional sport) Brandon’s Bill Huston might just be the world champion.” A common story we heard since his passing has been, Bill was one of the best fastball pitchers from around the area and was always willing to help the young guys with pitching tips too. He met his wife Jean and they were married on July 10, 1965 and spent 54 years together. This union produced two children, a daughter Susan and son Rob. Bill had various jobs in his life. He worked at the Prince Edward Hotel as a bellhop, and then after Bill and Jean got married, he became a sales rep for Imperial Oil. He eventually took over as operator/owner of Brandon Esso, Hi-Way Esso and Keystone Esso. Following ownership of Spectrum Sports, he had a short stint with the Brandon School Division, then owner of Turbo gas station on Rosser Avenue. He worked at the Sokol Hall and finally his last job before retirement as owner of the Sandy Lake Hotel. After he sold the Sandy Lake Hotel and “retired”, he couldn’t sit idle. He opened B and K Meats with his friend Kevin Fiarchuk, served on the town committee for Sandy Lake for 4 years, two four-year terms as councillor for the RM of Harrison and RM of Harrison-Park and spent summers cutting grass at Poplar Ridge Golf Course in Onanole until his health prevented him from doing so any longer. Bill was inducted into the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame as an individual player in 2006 and as part of the 7Up Fastball team in 2009. He was very honored and humbled by these inductions. Bill and Jean spent time travelling around to all the ball diamonds throughout the province, and after he stopped playing himself, he coached Rob in hockey and baseball. They also travelled to Hawaii, Florida and spent many winters in San Antonio, Texas with many close friends. Brandon was where Bill grew up, but Sandy Lake was a place he held close to his heart. He met many dear friends, embraced the community and took advantage of the outdoors, with hunting and fishing and he loved his time in the garden. He always referred to Sandy Lake and area as “God’s Country”. During their time at Sandy Lake, Bill and Jean became grandparents, and this is when we saw him shine with pride. Sierra, Sam and Sydney were his greatest gifts and he loved them dearly. He was their biggest cheerleader (and critic) in their chosen activities. Following Bill’s passing the family has received an outpouring of messages from friends near and far, family and acquaintances. Many comments like, “he was a great guy”, “he taught me how to pitch or throw a certain way”, or stories of over-indulging because of his three-finger drink pouring! He always knew how to make people feel important. Bill was a social person and was genuinely interested in people and the community. He always wanted to make people feel welcome, whether it was in Bill and Jean’s home or out and about. He always had a laugh, smile or some wise crack to make. He genuinely cared about people. Due to health issues, Bill and Jean moved to Brandon in January of this year, leaving his beloved Sandy Lake. This was not an easy decision for him. Bill was predeceased by his parents, James and Agnes Huston (Parker) and his two sisters, Eunice Barnes and Ellen Weech. Bill is survived by his wife Jean, daughter Susan (Marc) and son Rob (Lisa) and grandchildren, Sierra, Sam and Sydney. He is also survived by his brother Ron “Spike” (Beckie) and many nieces and nephews whom he was very fond of. Bill passed away peacefully on September 3, 2019, surrounded by family. Bill’s final “Happy Hour” was held on Friday, September 6, with drinks and hot dogs to celebrate his life. The outpouring of friends in attendance would have made him proud. A private family interment occurred at Rosewood Cemetery earlier in the day, another opportunity to celebrate and honor him. Donations in Bill’s memory can be made to Hockey Brandon, Steppin’ Time Dance Studio and/or Cat’s Club Volleyball program at Brandon University.

As published in Brandon Sun on Oct 05, 2019