William GRAY

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GRAY: William (Bill) passed away Sunday, January 5, 2020 at the Tri Lake Health Centre at the age of 73. Bill was predeceased by his mother Margaret, father Lawrence, and brother Cameron. Bill is survived by his wife Trudy, daughter Melanie, son Curtis, grandchildren Breanne, Tyler, Brett, Anson, Avila and brother Warren as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Bill was born August 23, 1946 and grew up at the Gray family farm on Grand Valley Road. Two of Bill’s passions as a child continued throughout his life: violin and sports. Bill started violin lessons through the Brandon College at age 8 and later on in Rivers from Alex Whyte. Bill played hockey as a youngster but baseball was his true sport passion. Bill would play baseball for endless hours with his brother’s and travel into Brandon for Little League games. He attended Poplar Hill School and belonged to their Garden and Poultry Club as well as the Forrest Beef and Swine Club. Bill graduated from Neelin High School in Automotive Mechanics in 1964. He was the catcher for the Brandon Parklane Juniors, the 1967 Canadian National Baseball Champions. He also played senior ball for St. Lazare, and the Brandon Cloverleafs. Bill was a competitive goaltender playing with the Brandon Olympics, Killarney Shamrocks, and “Presidents Men” of the Killarney Commercial League. Bill always had a love for cars. If he wasn’t driving them he was fixing them. He apprenticed for 5 years including time in Winnipeg then with Brandon’s Binkley Motors and Central Auto Body. Bill moved to Killarney and bought Chapmans Auto Body in 1970. That same year he married Trudy Pritchard of Brandon. Together they settled in Killarney forming GT Auto Body Limited which they operated until 1990. They had 2 children, Melanie and Curtis. As a family they spent many weekends camping at the Canadian and American side of Lake Metigoshe and later on at Pleasant Valley. Golf was always a favourite family pastime that brought children and grandkids together for weekends and tournaments. Bill coached many years of Killarney Minor Ball. This led to teams participating in many area tournaments and provincial playdowns. To say Bill had a passion for violin would be an understatement. He began teaching violin for the Tiger Hills Arts Association which continued for over 30 years. He pursued his Suzuki teacher training through institutes at the University of Calgary, Stevens Point, Wisconsin and Guelph, Ontario. He created the Killarney Suzuki Program and dedicated his career to teaching violin full time. One of his teaching highlights was creating a fiddle CD titled “Just Fiddlin Around” with students Marina Archibald. His teaching career included the areas of the Tiger Hills Arts Association, Killarney, and later on the colonies of Tri-Leaf and Milshof. It’s estimated he taught over 700 students ranging from pre-school to adults. As much as he enjoyed teaching he also loved to entertain. He was a highly successful contest fiddler as he traveled to competitions throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and North Dakota. He toured country wide with Stu and Marge Clayton performing at various fairs and festivals. He joined the band The Fugitives in 2007. Here he spent 12 years creating lasting friendships while playing dance music across Canada and the USA. The group recorded 2 CDs titled “On the Run… Again” as well as “35 Years: Best of Friends.” Bill was a founding member of the Killarney Lions Club. In 2011, he was inducted into Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. This was a team category induction as a member of the 1967 National Junior Baseball Champions. In 2013 he was inducted into the Manitoba Fiddle Association Hall of Fame. The memorial service was held at Killarney United Church on Saturday, January 11, 2020. Honorary urn bearers were his beloved grandchildren. Bill’s passion for violin will continue through the established Bill Gray Memorial Fund. Contributions will be accepted at the Royal Band of Canada, Killarney, Manitoba. Bill will be remembered as a mentor, not only to his own children and grandchildren, but to all others whose lives he touched.Wheatland Funeral Service 204-523-7791www.wheatlandfs.com

As published in Brandon Sun on Feb 01, 2020