Bill died on Sunday, March 25, 2018 in Victoria B.C., the city he retired to. He was born in Manitou, Manitoba on June 21, 1936, was raised in Manitoba and northern Ontario and was based for most of his life in Ottawa. He is survived by his sister Arlene Southern, brother Don and his long-time partner Robert Sterling.
In 1964, Bill joined CUSO and found his calling in international development. Assigned as a volunteer to a teaching position in Nigeria, he was soon appointed to work for CUSO and led the programme during the tumultuous civil war period. On return to Canada, he went to work for CUSO taking on increasingly responsible positions until 1974 when he was chosen to become the Executive Director of WUSC, the World University Service of Canada, where he remained until his retirement in 1991. He played a critical role in building WUSC into the organization it is today, reviving the WUSC International Seminar programme, establishing the WUSC Student Refugee Programme and leading the organization in taking on a major role in the government of Canada’s programmes in more than 20 developing countries. Bill was committed to supporting Canada’s role abroad and committed to expanding opportunities for Canadians to contribute to and take part in the lives of people in developing countries who were striving for improvement and success.
He was noted for his cooking skills and hospitality and was renowned for the dinners and receptions he hosted for foreign visitors of all walks of life and for the quality of his friendships with colleagues, Canadian and International.
A Memorial Service will be held at St. Barnabas Church at the corner of Belmont and Begbie in Victoria, BC on Friday, April 6, 2018 at 3:00 pm. There will be a reception in the church hall following the service.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
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14 Responses
Bill believed in me at a time when I didn’t. He mentored me, put me in hellish spots to see what I was made of and gave me the chance to turn my life around.
Warm,compassionate,determined, he was truly one of a kind. RIP.
I was saddened to read Mr. McNeil’s obituary in the Globe and Mail. My condolences to Mr. Sterling and Mr McNeil’s family. He and Mr. Sterling were dedicated and loyal customers of Tinkers in Ottawa for many years. Mr McNeil was a very kind and generous gentleman with great cooking skills and
culinary knowledge.. A joy to see on a Saturday morning. I will always remember my favourite customer.
I am sorry not to be able to be present on Friday at the Memorial service, but I shall certainly raise a glass to toast the many years I worked with Bill in CUSO and while he was at WUSC. He was my first ‘boss’ when I was appointed Director of the program in Nigeria, and then West Africa way back in the ’60s (!) – although ‘boss’ doesn’t really describe a relationship that for me – like so many others – involved work, yes, but also so much laughter and long, delicious meals, political arguments, story-telling about ridiculous situations we found ourselves in, endless car journeys through the ‘bush’, etc. Croquet on the Supreme Court lawn on Canada Day with thermos bottles full of martinis, demos outside the S. African embassy, picnics in the Azores… Bill had a gift for friendship and unbounded hospitality. My thoughts are especially with Robert, who abetted and facilitated so much of the enjoyment we all had.
Dear Arlene, Don and Robert, It is with great sadness that Helen and I read of Bill’s passing. My association with Bill was through his strong commitment to the many Development Programs at WUSC. When I decided to leave CIDA in 1986, Bill”recruited” me (over lunch) to take an overseas assignment as the WUSC Field Director in Indonesia. I gladly accepted and enjoyed 6 years at WUSC working and sharing ideas and stories with Bill until his retirement in 1991. Bill was the ultimate host and Helen and I enjoyed some wonderful occasions at Bill’s home. He was a great manager and put his faith and trust in all of his staff. Although i stayed with WUSC until 1995, it was just not the same without Bill. We will be thinking of Bill and all of you this Friday. God Bless.
My wife Sue and I followed Bill as teachers at Santa Crux Secondary School in Umuahia, Nigeria. That was in 1965, and we were impressed that CUSO, which was promoting Bill to a staff position in the country, felt they had to offer two teachers for one! Over the next two years, we enjoyed many visits from the ever-friendly Bill as he made his way around Nigeria, solving problems and keeping up volunteers’ spirits. A few years later, Bill was back in Ottawa and interviewed me for a position with CUSO. Lunch at his place was part of my visit, and I still remember being impressed with how he set the table, prepared a nice meal, and kept cheerfully chatting the whole time. Canada’s good reputation in international development owes much to Bill and others like him. Condolences from both of us.
My sympathy to Robert, and to Bill’s sister and brother. Robert and Bill both helped me when I was working on a book about CUSO (published in 2013), first in emails and then with an interview with Bill when they were visiting friends here in Toronto. It is a great thing to have led a worthwhile, useful life, as Bill did through his work in international development.
As a former colleague of Bill’s at CUSO, I was sad to learn of his death. He made a huge contribution to Canada’s role in international development back when NGOs like CUSO and WUSC mattered. He was also a generous host and I fondly remember tasty meals at his home in Ottawa. Condolences to Robert.
Dear Robert,
We are truly sorry for your loss. We knew Bill as a soft-spoken, genuinely warm -hearted man, always with a kind word for us and always with a twinkle in his eye to match his sense of humour.
It is with sincere regret that we are unable to attend his service.
Our thoughts will be with you.
As friends of long-standing, Bill held a special place in our hearts. We spent a great deal of time together – in Nigeria, parts of Africa, in the Azores and in Victoria. There is now a permanent hole in our hearts but we are so very grateful for his hospitality, his wisdom, sense of humour and well known generosity.
To Robert and his extended family we send deep sympathy.
No doubt many friends from CUSO and WUSC days will be at the Memorial Service. Our home in Ontario seems so very far away.
A life well lived. A very special man who was admired and loved by so many. His sense of humour and his cooking skills were unequalled. What a great hole he leaves but oh! what wonderful memories! I send my condolences and sympathy to you Robert. Thinking of you.