WALLACE, William Edward

I just found out about Billy’s passing. I am so sorry. I have many fond memories and I think of you all often.

William Edward Wallace III will be remembered as a kind, fun loving, judicious Scot who loved his Tim Horton’s morning coffee.
When Bill would come East to visit his uncle and I on Baxter Island in Lake Muskoka, he would take the boat Tik I T Boo and speed off to town for a quick Tim visit.
He loved to fish with his uncle and just relax and take beautiful pictures.
On his last visit to the island, before the dreaded M.S. diagnosis, Bill captured the beauty of the Lake Muskoka surroundings and on a whim, mounted a highly successful, one man photography show at a local gallery . He always had a wide ranging artistic talent that was recognized at an early age.
His peace keeping duties in war torn countries, ever present in his mind, did not dampen his love of life and family or his quest for a better place in this world for others less fortunate.
He will be fondly and lovingly remembered by all who knew him..
Rest in peace Bill you deserve it

Lisa, Aunt Barb, Uncle Grant

Life is But a Stopping Place

Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what’s to be,
A resting place along the road, to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys, Different paths along the way.
We all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay….
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know.
For some the journey’s quicker,
For some the journey’s slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We’ll claim a great reward,
And find an everlasting peace, Together with the Lord.

Rest well Dragoon and thanks to you and your family for service to Canada and your comradeship with us.

My sincere condolences to all who are grieving this sad loss. Though I had not been in contact with Billy for many years, but shared many, many childhood memories with him. He will be lovingly remembered.

Hi Kate and friends and family. Ken Thomas Suster Lorna here. My condyto all on the passing of Billy. I have lost a son and it has been quite the grief journey. I thought I would share this writing with you. Much of what is said here really resonated for me and perhaps it will for you as well:

From the Center for Action and Contemplation
Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation

Good Grief

“When someone you love very much dies, the sky falls. And so you walk around under a fallen sky”. —Mirabai Starr, Caravan of No Despair

Richard Roher: My dear friend Mirabai Starr has suffered many losses in her life, including that of her fourteen-year-old daughter Jenny, which Mirabai writes about with profound vulnerability and wisdom.

Mirabai: “There is no map for the landscape of loss, no established itinerary, no cosmic checklist, where each item ticked off gets you closer to success. You cannot succeed in mourning your loved ones. You cannot fail. Nor is grief a malady, like the flu. You will not get over it. You will only come to integrate your loss. . . . The death of a beloved is an amputation. You find a new center of gravity, but the limb does not grow back.”

Richard : “Death cannot be dealt with through quick answers, religious platitudes, or a stiff upper lip. Grief is not a process that can be rushed but must be allowed to happen over time and in its own time. Mirabai recounts that the most important step she took was giving herself permission to mourn in the first place:

Mirabai: “With reticence at first, and then with mounting courage, I dared to mourn my child. From the very beginning I suspected that something holy was happening and that if I were to push it away, I would regret it for the rest of my life. There was this sense of urgency, as if turning from death meant turning from my child. I wanted to offer Jenny the gift of my commitment to accompany her on her journey away from me, even if to do so simply meant dedicating my heartbeat and my breath to her and paying attention.

And so I showed up.

When a feeling I did not think I could survive would threaten to engulf me, I practiced turning toward it with the arms of my soul outstretched, and then my heart would unclench a little and make space for the pain. Years of contemplative practice had taught me just enough to know better than to believe everything I think—how to shift from regretting the past and fearing the future to abiding with what is. In this case, a totally [messed up] thing. The ultimate [messed up] thing. I sat with that.

I did not engage in this practice to prove something to myself or anyone else. I was not interested in flexing my spiritual muscles. I did it for Jenny. My willingness to stay present through this process was an act of devotion. By leaning into the horror and yielding to the sorrow, by standing in the fire of emptiness and saying yes to the mystery, I was honoring my child and expressing my ongoing love for her. It was not mere mindfulness practice; it was heartfulness practice.

Every individual has their own journey through grief and loss. Mirabai is an example of how we can courageously face and feel our grief in a way that honors the gift of life we have been given. “

From the book by Mirabai Starr. ‘Caravan of No Despair.’

Bill had one of the biggest hearts out of anyone I have come across. A true best friend and brother in arms. It was a honour to have spent time with you and to have known you.

Peace be with you Wallace.

Sorry to hear about Billy. He was a great guy. I met him when were both living at Artspace Housing Co-op. Kate, I know you will miss Billy. Sending love to you and all who knew him ~ Ken Thomas

I had the privilege to work with Billy during my time as a Dragoon in Petawawa and what I remember of was Billy had class, such an approachable guy and very kind. Rest in Peace,Billy .

I was shocked to hear of the passing of Billy. I remember playing rugby with him in the late 90’s on the regimental team. He was an excellent player and teammate. These were some of the best times I had in the army and Bill was a huge part of that. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends. RIP.
Sgt (ret’d) Cliff Millner RCD

One of my favourite persons and such a stellar guy!! Will miss him for sure!! Kate and your family is in my heart always and forever!

My sincere condolences to the family and to the many friends. I was very saddened by the passing of Billy. I worked with him, lived in F16 on the base with him and I only have good memories of him and all the parties, exercises, courses etc. He was a great soldier, a great friend and an all around good person. Rest In Peace brother, Natacha Dupuis

Saw the photo of Kate and Bill and thought I would share it. It is a great memory.