WILLIAM (BILL) JAMES RESTALL

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WILLIAM (BILL) JAMES RESTALL Suddenly, on the afternoon of July 12, 2003, Bill Restall passed away at Concordia Hospital. Beloved husband of almost 53 years to June (nee Partridge), Bill is also survived by his son Bill and wife Cheryl of Saskatoon and son Howard and wife Theresa of Winnipeg. Bill was the proud grandfather of Julene, Andrew, and Cassandra Restall of Saskatoon. He was predeceased by his parents, Sidney and Jennie and his brother John H. Restall, QC. Bill was also predeceased by his niece Janie, whom he held in dear affection. Bill and June were married on October 1, 1949 in Winnipeg at St. Johns Cathedral. Bill was born in Winnipeg on December 8, 1923. He attended Luxton, St. Johns Tec and St. Pauls college. In 1941 Bill was hired by the Canadian Pacific Railroad as an office boy. During his employment with the CPR, he held various positions until his retirement in 1987 as Office Supervisor, Marketing and Sales. He was most happy during his time as a Sales Representative as it enabled him to "press the flesh" with so many customers, many of who became his lifelong friends. His entire career with the CPR was in Winnipeg except for one year in Thunder Bay, ON. There are many stories that can be told about Dad and his various exploits on the job and his ability to make others laugh at his jokes and also his wonderful stories about situations that happened to him. It was this ability to touch each and every person with his sincerity and humour that made him such a joy to be around. Upon his retirement, Bill and June spent many winter months in Phoenix where he was able to enjoy the warm weather and great company of other snowbirds. He also enjoyed his monthly luncheons with the other retirees of the CPR. But his real passion in retirement was the objective to just relax and take life easy. He managed to do this with great facility - although it did help if his Blue Jays won. During the years Bill was active in many community organizations including the Order of Demolay, Kind Edward Lodge, St Johns, West Kildonan and Grain Exchange Curling Clubs. He was an avid curler and was proud that his two sons shared his passion for the game. Bill took great pride in both his sons accomplishments and could often be found sitting watching their various activities. He had a knack for either excusing himself or diverting attention away from the action in a particularly tough situation as he was too anxious to actually watch what was happening. He also so enjoyed meeting and talking to people near him - attempting to determine if they had common friends or relatives. In just a few minutes he would often identify a connection between his new acquaintance and himself. His support for all his family will be sorely missed. One of the greatest sources of fond memories was that Bill always ensured that his family experienced a great summer vacation. Whether it was via daycoach to Canadian destinations or in some of their classic cars, the family always had a fantastic time. These stories are legend and included sleeping at rest areas, in garages, pushing cars up hills, tents that wouldnt go up, lights that wouldnt work, driving through New York City, etc. Of course with Bill narrating the stories of the exploits, the holidays were enjoyed more with each passing year. We will miss not only the stories but also the way that he told them. We also wish that we could take just one more vacation with him. The family would like to thank the staff at Concordia Hospital for their care and assistance. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at Neil Bardal Inc., 984 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, on Wednesday, July 16 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Manitoba Lung Association, 629 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB. NEIL BARDAL INC. 949-2200

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 15, 2003