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Loving Memory of
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In Loving Memory of My Beautiful Husband William Latham Adair April 22, 1946 - February 5, 2007
Words from the heart read at the service
He
shared his music and laughter,
Showed
me a world outside my own.
Showered
me with love and true devotion
And
filled my heart with hopes and dreams
He was
my best friend, the love of my life, my knight in shining armour
Sent to
find me at a time when I was lost and alone.
Always
the best provider who never complained
Who
struggled through hard times but never let it get him down
His
passion for both love and his work driving him to higher levels
Never
taking anything for granted but believing in himself
His
strength was my strength to go on when times were sometimes difficult
A day
never went by that he didn’t say “I love you”
His love
for me was constant and deep leaving me without any doubts
And
never did I worry this love we had would ever fade away
As it
only became stronger and stronger each and every passing day
His
heart was worn and broken and mine, crushed by the weight of pain
Will
somehow keep on beating until the day when we will be together again. Bill, my beautiful husband, the love of my life and now the man of my dreams, forever and always.
Sean's...... It's definitely not an easy task to talk about a man of such noble qualities, so I figured the best way to describe him would be to share with you some experiences in my life with Bill that might convey to you some of those qualities. And being introduced to someone at such a young age, he would now become one of the two most influential people in my life. And I could never even begin to describe how grateful I am to have had him be that person. First and foremost, he was a provider. Everything he ever did was for other people, especially family. He never once asked for anything in return. The amount of effort required to care for two different families of children is something I will obviously never grasp fully, but I think its safe to assume that not many people could do it with the amount of achievement he did. I'm sure one of Bill's greatest worries when trying to care for both, was that one side might feel left out at times. As a child, even though I got to live with him all the time, I remember having that feeling on occasion, because kids at that age won't see the entire scope of a situation. As I became older and better able to appreciate Bill's task, it was solidly obvious that he had expended all of his efforts and taken every opportunity to make sure all the kids in the equation had everything they needed. I’m sure at times it was difficult. Being in sales, your income is directly affected by the economy, and there were times growing up that the money wasn’t there. Yet I still always remember having everything we needed or even wanted because he sacrificed everything for himself to make sure others would be happy. Shane, Kelly, Kristy, Your Dad took every possible opportunity to see you guys, see your soccer, basketball, hockey games or school events. Kelly, I think he especially got a lot of enjoyment watching you play hockey, it must have reminded him a lot of himself at your age then. Many of the happiest memories as a kid, was when he brought you guys to stay over on a weekend, or swimming at your grandmother’s house. I couldn't swim at that time, and I remember more than one occasion where he had to dive in with his clothes on to pull me out. Some of you who worked with Bill are here today, I think because you saw similar qualities that I mentioned just before that would apply to the way he did business. Always taking a genuine interest in his dealers needs and going above and beyond to take care of those needs. Like driving literally millions of kilometers over the years for things like going to a customers house to take a photo of a sofa cushion that might be a little flattened, or bringing a replacement leg for a floor model in a store because they needed it right away. Bringing them things that he could have easily fed ex'd for twelve dollars, but he wanted to do it in person because he cared about his work and his dealers. I think you probably recognize those qualities because you yourselves have them which is why there was a friendship there, beyond the business relationship. It’s a rare thing to meet people like Bill these days. Many times when you offer someone your hand, they reach for your whole arm. No matter how unpleasant people could be at times, he would never let it get him down, he always had the most positive outlook on everything, not matter how bad times might be. I think its very honorable for someone to maintain those qualities after going through so much hardship.
My BillBill loved his sports, even though it didn’t quite start out that way. At the age of 12, his mom decided it was time he got out and started playing hockey. She was a very intelligent woman and always a hard worker. Bill was her baby and as he often reflected back on those early days of his growing up he’d tell us how much they spoiled him. He had all the toys of day, the cowboy outfits, the rocking horses, the trips to the cottage on weekends with his parents and grandparents where they’d stop for ice cream along the way at all his favourite shops. He told us the story, more than once, of how one time when his grandfather made a rather sharp turn on a dirt road and the back door suddenly opened and there was Bill, flying out onto the road. We’d laugh and laugh at the thought of the whole thing. Or the time his parents owned an older model car which had a huge rusting hole in the floor and every time they drove over a puddle water would splash up and hit them all in the face. And when he told those stories he’d always have that special smile of his on his face because he was remembering fun times with his family, parents and grandparents who were completely devoted to one another. He obviously learned from the best because he was exactly the same way. Hard working, fair and honest people is what comes to mind when I think of his family. Anyway, the day that Bill’s mom decided it was time for him to get out of the house and away from the TV, which he was already hooked on, Bill balked at the idea. They were both very head strong and stubborn but Bill’s mom won out and she managed to get him out the front door and promptly locked him out. I always asked him what he did after that and he’d say…”Well, I guess it was either stand there and freeze on the doorstep or get on a bus and go inside the arena” which he did eventually wind up doing and which he never looked back. After that day it was hockey, hockey, hockey. Bill played all through high school and
then wound up playing in the Eastern Hockey League. This league began in
1954 and ended in 1973. It started with 5 teams and grew
into two divisions for the 1959-60 season. The league reached it peak in
terms of team number in the 1967-68 when it had twelve teams in two
divisions. In its final season the league had twelve teams split into three
divisions. Bill played for the Greensboro Generals from 1965 – 1972 and was
owned by the Chicago Black Hawks. He was next in line to fly up when he
suffered a severe skating injury to the knee forcing him to hang up his
skates for the last time. He was devastated to say the least until one of
the guys from a company in Lexington, NC offered him a job at Kroehler
Furniture. Bill went back home to Toronto to tell his mother he’d been
offered a job selling furniture. When his mother told me this story she
added that she’d nearly fallen off her chair when he told her he would be
selling because Bill was, as she put it, an introvert. She was skeptical
about the whole thing but…I guess he sure proved her wrong. At Kroehler he worked
first in the office and then later requested to be on the road selling. He
lived in places like Lexington, NC., Dallas, TX, wherever he was needed.
Eventually, he was hired by Lexington Furniture Company where he remained
for many years and was one of their top salesmen. When the Canadian dollar
took a sharp dive and business dropped off Bill was forced to look for
another line. Over the years he’s worked for several large manufactures
such as Berkline, Basset, Hooker, Carol-Ann Furniture and Rowe as well as
the smaller ones. Each line he took on he threw his heart and soul into the
selling aspect. He’s listen to all kinds of motivational tapes and read
books that promised to increase sales power. He was passionate about his
work no matter how small the line might be. If he believed something would
sell and would make his customers money he wouldn’t give up until he had
them swayed in his direction. He was persistent and yet, he would never
unwittingly steer a customer in the wrong direction. His goal was always
the same, make money not just for himself but for his customers. In fact,
while being interviewed for the job at Rowe he and his partner were asked
the question “Tell us one good reason why we should hire a couple of OLD
HACKS like you?”….to which Bill responded “because we’ll make money for
you”.
The True Gentleman The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe. John Walter Wayland
Bill Bill 1968 Shane Kelly Sean I'll Never Find Another You THE SEEKERS (Tom Springfield)
If Tomorrow Never Comes Sometimes late at night
Greensboro Generals 1967-1968
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