William Dryden
June 21st, 1943 - Wednesday, July 11th, 2018

After a courageous battle with cancer, William (Bill) Cedric Dryden went home to his Heavenly Father on July 11, 2018.

During the final stretch of his journey, Bill enjoyed being at home in Calgary surrounded by his family; and defying the odds, he and Linda celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary, as well as Bill’s 75th birthday.

Bill is survived by his wife Linda, his children Peter (Lisa), Greg, and Kevin (Cheryl), his grandchildren Rebecca, David, Natalie, and William, brother John (Marilyn), as well as brothers and sisters-in-law, Garry & Dianne McDonald, Don & Donna Gandy, Cliff Breen (Sandra) and nieces and nephews: Heather, Shawn, Peggy, Ken, Scott, Karen, Doug, Jake, Eddie, Theresa, Taylor, and Katie.

Bill was born on June 21, 1943 in Trafalgar Township, Ontario, the third of four children to Russ & Eunice Dryden. He grew up in the small town of Milton, Ontario, with his siblings, Peter, Verna, and John, where Russ owned and ran the Milton Dairy and Eunice managed the home front.

Bill enjoyed life as a boy during the ‘Milton Years’; and in those formative years, he developed his love of reading and research, delivered newspapers, went to Sunday School, learned how to woodwork, and enjoyed small town adventures in the 50s & 60s. Along with his siblings, Bill helped by working at the Milton Dairy, but eventually joined the Royal Canadian Navy for a season, until a medical discharge sent him home; not long after, Bill married the love of his life, Linda and started a family. And somewhere along the way, he developed the witty sense of humour he became famous for by those who knew him best.

With his small family in tow, the 70s were the ‘Temagami Years’ for Bill, as he and Linda ventured to northern Ontario, where they built their dream home on Lowell Lake. Besides working hard to provide a good home, and helping to raise three boys, Bill worked for the LCBO, served for a term as president of the local Royal Canadian Legion, as well as on town council for Parks & Recreation. At home, Bill enjoyed canoeing, occasional hunting and camping trips, visits with the neighbours, quiet reading and coffee with Linda, and treating the boys with the occasional trip to the local dump to watch the black bears (a favourite outing for the locals). He also enjoyed gathering the family together around the big picture window in the living room to watch majestic thunder and lightning storms roll over the lake.

The 80s gave way to the ‘Sutton and Kitchener Years’, where Bill navigated the challenges of raising teenage boys, quitting smoking, a career change from LCBO management in Sutton, Ontario, to serving the public in Kitchener, Ontario as a driver for Grand River Transit. It was during this season of life where Bill’s childhood faith became real to him as an adult and he committed his life as a follower of Jesus and was baptized as an adult. Bill loved the word of God and could be found reading his bible daily, and he was known for his extensive study and exercising discernment, very much like The Bereans found in Acts 17:10-12.

During the 90s, Bill enjoyed taking road trips with Linda to Atlantic Canada and to Alberta, and occasional trips to Florida and Pennsylvania. He loved spending time with his grandkids, teaching them how to whittle wood, to whistle a tune, to read a good book, and eat soup from a coffee mug; he pointed out that the only ‘real’ kind of licorice is black licorice, and shared his immense love of cheese, and especially cheese with apple slices.

The new millennium became the ‘Calgary Years’, as Bill retired after 20 years of service at GRT; he and Linda moved to Calgary to be closer to their grandkids. They purchased a beautiful corner unit condo in Coventry Hills, where they found friendship with their many wonderful neighbours, and enjoyed conversations at coffee time.

Bill loved family gatherings and big meals, and watching his grandkids grow and play with the wood building-blocks he made. He loved to record the new height measurements of his grandkids on the family 2x4, and enjoyed seeing their concerts and recitals, basketball games, and sharing stories and wisdom from his life. He saw Natalie and William start school and learn to play piano and violin, and Rebecca and David finish university. He taught his grandkids to be discerning and coached them to always do their own thinking; watching his grandkids exercise good reasoning and discernment made him very proud.

Bill enjoyed a quiet lifestyle with Linda by his side; a fresh cup of coffee, some Beethoven, and a good book was always a winning combination for him. He loved God and his family dearly. We miss his love and his presence, his wisdom, and his sense of humour. We are richer because he was in our lives.

To view and share photos, condolences and stories of William please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.