Bill Hogarth

It is with sadness at his passing and joy in the celebration of his life that we announce the passing of our husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather at the age 79. William Allan Hogarth passed away peacefully at the Canmore Hospital after a brief illness, surrounded by his family.

Bill is survived by, and will be missed by, his wife of 57 years, Marilyn and his children Allan (Audrey), Kevin (Debbie) and Cara (Scott) and his grandchildren Will, Reilly, Hayley, Lucas, Eli, Shamus and Aidan and his great grandchildren Ever and Rebel. He is also survived by his sister Carol (Larry) and brother Gary (Lori) and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Bill was born at the Canmore Hospital to Robert and Marion Hogarth. He grew up in Exshaw and attended elementary and junior high school there and continued on to high school in Banff. Bill met Marilyn, the love of his life, while in high school and married her in 1966. Bill attended the University of Calgary as a newlywed and graduating with a degree in Physical Education in 1967. He and Marilyn and their newborn son lived in Calgary for a while before he found a teaching job in Wetaskiwin, where his other 2 children were born. Only a couple of short years after, the opportunity to return to his beloved mountain home to teach at the Exshaw School came up and the family returned to the town that would be his home until his death. Bill taught Phys Ed at Exshaw for 9 years, having the chance to teach all of his children as well as his younger brother. One of Bill's favourite things when he taught in Exshaw was taking the grade 9 boys on the 5 day hike up the Exshaw creek to Lake Minnewanka. This trip combined his love of the great outdoors with his passion for teaching young students about mother nature. In 1979 Bill left teaching to start a new career at the Lafarge plant in Exshaw, following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps to become a driller/blaster in the quarry. He remained at Lafarge until his retirement in 2007, after 27 years with the company.

Bill was a lifelong lover of the outdoors, spending as much time as possible outside in the mountains where he spent his entire life. He instilled in his children and grandchildren a love of all things outdoors and spent many times hiking with them and all hikes were a lesson in all things nature. When you went for a hike with Bill, you came away with new knowledge and insight. Bill grew up playing hockey and baseball, which he continued into later life. Bill also loved golf, and he and Marilyn spent many a days on the course together after he retired.

The things that mattered the most to Bill and gave him the most pride was his family, and he loved every opportunity to spend time with his wife, kids and grandkids. Some of our fondest memories involve the evenings spent around the kitchen table playing cards until the wee hours of the mornings.

The family wishes to thank Dr. John Michalyshyn for his many years of caring for Bill. We would like to thank the following doctors for their compassionate care of Bill during his stay at the Canmore Hospital - Dr. Hone, Dr. Eeles, Dr. Bernbaum, Dr. Henry and Dr. Barrick, as well as all the wonderful staff for their compassionate and loving care.

A celebration of Bill's life was held at the Exshaw legion on Friday, July 7th starting at 2pm.

Friends wishing to remember Bill are encouraged to make a donation, in his memory, to the Canmore Hospital, in lieu of flowers

Services provided by Russ Reynolds and Bow River Funeral Service.