Bill was always an honest and reliable man whose word could be trusted.

His younger brother John found this out the hard way, when he dared Bill to chop his finger off with an axe.

John was certain Bill wouldn’t swing the axe and Bill was certain John would pull his hand away.

John ran screaming into the house, with the top of his finger missing, and Bill was heard yelling “I told you I was going to swing it”.  

Bill was a devoted family man with some great passions in his life.  

First and foremost Bill loved his family, and in particular his wife Shirley. They met at primary school as 10-year-olds. It became a romance that blossomed to a marriage of 64 years.

Bill and Shirley married in 1954 and started their family soon after. They lived in Maitland, Old Bar, Tamworth and Tinonee, with their three daughters, Cheryl, Rhonda and Karen.

Bill was very proud of his daughters, and he adored his seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Bill was a member of the RFS for over 46 years spending many years as a group captain.

In 2016 Bill was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal for his dedication and hard work as a volunteer.

During his time in the RFS Bill was always supported by Shirley. As soon as he could see smoke or smell smoke, he would drop everything to investigate, often with Shirley in tow.

Bill was an avid fisherman, and enjoyed time at the beach, or on the river or lake. Just recently Bill was talking to me about his fishing days and reminiscing about good times fishing with his friend Fred.

Bill spent much time in a boat and was an oyster farmer on Wallis Lake. He was often joined by dolphins on his journey to work each day.

He loved his time taking his four wheel drive onto the beach to fish. Shirley would be by his side and the beach was their special place.

Bill was a keen shooter who handled a gun from an early age. He continued to have excellent eyesight for Friday night target shooting until very recently, comparing his scorecard with his grandson Shawn.

Bill loved keeping busy and spending time in his garden. It was always a battle between him and nature, with the snails and birds mostly winning. He had many interesting ideas and solutions for his gardening

Bill had a big heart and a sharp mind. He embraced life to the fullest and shared his passions with family and friends. His kind and warm spirit touched many.