It is with sadness we share the news of Bill’s sudden death on April 19, 2022, in his home.
William Patrick was born in Scarborough, Ontario on December 14, 1964 to Mike (late) and Mary Bridgeman. Loving husband to Fiona; great Dad to Bill Jr., the pride and joy of his life. Big brother to John (Catherine) and little brother to Mike (Fawn), Doreen, Eileen (Chris), Linda (Glen). Loving uncle to Chris ( Angela), Justin ( Courtney) and Ashley (Leslie) as well as the younger generation; Liam, Delaney, Sadie, Jack, Kaitlyn, Jacob, Felicity, Isabelle, Madison, Charlotte and Peter.
Bill grew up in Pickering, enjoying hockey and baseball in his youth. He went to work in the same field as his Dad, a proud and hard – working member of the Ironworkers Local 721 for 30 + years. His work life was spent in a myriad of jobs, most notably Pearson International Airport, the SkyDome, now known as Roger’s Centre and the Trump Hotel. He was also involved in the first wave of wind turbine installations throughout Ontario and many car plant refits in the region. His most recent work adventures were with a close-knit group of guys, building and repairing power towers around southern Ontario. He was affectionately known in the trade as ‘Billy Ponytail’, as he’s had one since his high school days. He only just cut it off, in the past six months, following his cancer journey. Bill was one of those handy guys. He could watch you build or complete a project then take it on himself, whether it be cars, trucks, interlock or home repairs. He had just retired, preparing to refurbish his home, as he never had time while he was working.
Bill enjoyed travelling, especially these past few years with Fiona and Bill Jr. Of course, his pre-marriage trips were for musical reasons, finding concerts to enjoy. Fiona brought family travel adventure back into his life, often finding school chums in sunny, foreign locales for them to get together with and enjoy some down time. This included Cuba, Mexico and Canadian road trips closeby or PEI, BC and Lake Louise. A trip to China was an adventure for all of them, though Bill felt his resemblance to Budda was daunting in Fiona’s homeland.
Visitation will take place at McEachnie’s, 28 Old Kingston Rd, Ajax on Tuesday April 26 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. The funeral mass will take place at Holy Redeemer Church, 796 Eyer Drive, Pickering, on Wednesday, April 27, at 11:00 am. Light refreshments will follow in the Church Hall. As Bill’s wishes were for cremation, the interment at Resurrection Cemetery in Whitby will be at a later date.
Donations can be made to the charity of your choice. Or, as Bill was so fond of doing, go visit a friend you haven’t seen in a while and share some memories.