William Mcpherson

McPherson, William (Bill) Hamilton

1915 – 2021

Bill passed quietly on May 1, 2021 at the Ottawa Civic Hospital regretting that he finally had to give up chasing women.  Bill was born in Bromley England to Dr. Angus and Mable McPherson of Peterborough, Ontario where he grew up.  Bill married Yvonne Wilson (2005) in 1944 thanks to their introduction by his sister Mary Kelly. He is survived by his 3 children Barb (Rick) Bull, Doug (Marg) McPherson and Marcia (Mike 2008) Scrimgeour; 6 grand children Jamie (Oona) Bull, Karen (Justin) Bull-Russil, Michael (Jessie) McPherson, Bill (Khristina) McPherson, Chris Scrimgeour and Laura (David) Scrimgeour-Carter.  He also has 4 great-grand children, William McPherson, Jackson McPherson, Aylith Carter and Declan Bull. He was much loved by his in-laws, Norm and Carol Wilson and his many nieces and nephews.  Bill is predeceased by his brothers Doug and Don McPherson and his sister Mary Kelly, all of Peterborough.  He graduated in 1937 from the University of Toronto in the first class of Engineering Physics offered by the university. He got his first job with Ontario Hydro after graduation.  He spent the first years of his marriage in Washington, DC where he participated in a war-time project known as the Proximity Fuse, then returned to Toronto at the end of the war.  He and Yvonne moved to Ottawa in the late 50’s, to Belleville until the middle 70’s, finally returning to Ottawa where they retired.  Bill was an active Rotarian both with the Belleville and Nepean-Kanata clubs.  He received the Paul Harris Fellow Medallion and Service Above Self Award for his untiring efforts with club and humanitarian projects.  Bill and Yvonne were active curlers with the Richmond Curling Club, a sport Bill continued until he was 99.  They were also avid skiers introducing their children to the sport while living in the Ottawa area. He gave up skiing at age 98, having taken sufficient advantage, he felt, of the free skiing offered at Camp Fortune for those over 90.  They both enjoyed square dancing and gourmet dinner evenings with a group of bridge players. This friendship continued for many years.  Summers were spent at cottages, first in the Gatineau area and then when they moved to Belleville, on Lake Weslemkoon.  There they built a cottage that remains in the family to this day and has been the site of many family get togethers for over 50 years.  A donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation has been requested. No funeral or memorial will be held. Honouring his request and in tribute to his wonderful sense of humour, he will be cremated and his ashes will be ‘subsequently distributed on the blueberries’.