Obituary of William Howard Elliott

ELLIOTT, William Howard ‘Bill’ Toney River It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Bill Elliott. Bill was released from his suffering on May 6th after a long courageous battle with Parkinson Disease/Lewy Body Dementia. He was born on September 6th, 1950 to Willie and Mary Elliott. Toney River was always his home. Bill was a quiet, funny, humble, hard working, gentle family man with high moral standards and a heart as big as the sky. He was always there to help anyone with anything. Bill loved his community of Toney River. He organized the Toney River B.B.Q. for many years and kept everything running smoothly until he wasn’t able. He started the Adopt a Highway program in Toney River. He also helped with the Riverbank Cemetery clean up. Bill took great pride in his community and all that he did. After graduating from West Pictou District High School, he began to pursue a diploma in electronics at DeVry University in Toronto, Ontario. He quickly realized that he was not intended for city life, so he headed home to sweetheart, Carolyn. He worked at the garage in Toney River, and then applied and got hired on at Maritime Tel and Tel. Bill had a very quick mind and fantastic problem solving skills. He was a jack of all trades man who was always happy to help fix a problem. This was evident in his career at Maritime Tel & Tel, where he worked for 30 years. We were told he was the go to man when it came to resolving an issue at hand. After retirement Bill worked in maintenance at MacKay’s Cottages and Conference Centre where he took the same pride in his work. Bill leaves behind his wife and best friend, Carolyn (nee Wooldridge) of 51 years; the joys of his life - his children, Bruce, Brad, Blaine, Caralei (Joseph, who he thought of as a son); and grandchildren, Kaylynn, Kathryn, Brandon, Elijah, Mya, Spencer, Dylan, Cohen and Ryleigh; sister, Helen MacKay; and brother, Jim Elliott; sisters-in-law, Shirley Rankin, Jessie (Ron) Cheverie, Mary (Burns) Wooldrdge-Elliott; and brother-in-law, Steven Wooldridge; many nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his mother and father-in-law, Bruce and Myrtle Wooldridge; sister, Ann MacLeod; as well as brothers-in-law, Ward MacLeod, Harry MacKay and Alex Rankin. Bill was a selfless man and performed his final act of kindness with his passing. He donated his brain to the Brain Bank at Dalhousie University. He said that if it would help even one person he would be happy. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Continuing Care Assistants, Physiotherapist and Nurses at Glen Haven that provided Dad with the best care and friendship during his stay there. A heartfelt thank you to the special ones that supported Dad (and us) during his time in palliative care. You will forever hold a special place in our hearts. Visitation will be held 6-9 PM Thursday, May 9th in McLaren Funeral Home, Pictou. Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 PM Friday May 10th from St. David’s Church, Toney River. Private family burial will be held in Riverbank Cemetery. Reception to follow service at Toney River Community Hall. Family flowers only please. Donations in his memory may be made to Parkinson Society Nova Scotia or Riverbank Cemetery. www.mclarenfuneral.ca