WILLIAM HENRY (HARRY) BOTTERILL

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WILLIAM HENRY (HARRY) BOTTERILL Harry, our dear father, passed away peacefully at the Victoria General Hospital on December 23, 2013. He was predeceased in 2010 by our mother, Nora, and will be lovingly remembered by his son, Jim (June), and daughters - Carol (Robbie), Lorraine (Craig), and Allyson (Drew), as well as grandchildren - Marla, Andrea (Kevin), Laura, Robin (Erica), Hadrian, Grant, Kara and Alanna, as well as his great-grandson, Marcus. Harry was the youngest child of George and Annie Botterill, and grew up in Morse Place with his siblings: George, Stan, Ida and Ray. After high school, Harry attended business college and upon graduation was employed by the CPR as a billing clerk. Thus began a varied and interesting life-long career in the transportation industry. He left the CPR to become an Inspector with the Canadian Freight Association. Harry's next vocational challenge was establishing the Canadian operation for Acme Fast Freight, an American-based company. Throughout the next 23 years, he opened offices for the company in many major centres across the country and progressed from District Manager to Canadian Vice-President. New ownership at Acme resulted in Harry's next working adventure as a special assistant to the Minister of Highways and Transportation for Manitoba. When this job ended with a change in government, he found employment as a marketing representative, first with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and then with Pinkerton's, but he was not finished with the transportation industry. He joined Federal Express during its earliest days, and successfully opened and managed the Winnipeg operation until his retirement. Over the years, Harry was a keen member of and served on the executive of many clubs and organizations including the Elmhurst Golf and Country Club, the Masons, the Shrine, the Toastmasters, Winnipeg Traffic and Customs, and Kiwanis. He met Nora Wood, his wife-to-be, at the CPR. She was the first female billing clerk, and he not only trained her, but decided he wanted to spend his life with her. They were married in November, 1943, shortly before he left Canada to serve overseas with the RCAF as an aircraft mechanic. After the war, Harry and Nora settled in Winnipeg, and raised their family. They enjoyed many happy retirement years. Summers were spent at their cabin on Lee River, and nothing gave them greater pleasure than being surrounded by family and friends. When Nora became ill, Harry devoted all his time to caring for her until her passing. Although he was lonely after her death, he remained fiercely independent and continued to live at Agape Villa enjoying the community atmosphere, activities, and friendships with other residents. Dad was a loving and devoted father. He was an individual who was both wise and fair, and a true gentleman who was well liked by all who knew him. He had a kind word and a smile for everyone. As well as a zest for living, and a propensity for humorous sayings and anecdotes, Dad possessed an amazingly creative and analytical mind, and over the years, taught himself to build, fix and install just about anything. Harry was a wonderful person and we will miss our father to the ends of our days. A private memorial service has been held. www.chapellawn.ca 885-9715

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 11, 2014