Obituary of William "Bill" McKinlay

William (Bill) McKinaly passed away peacefully with his family on January 18, 2017 at Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Bill will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Joyce McKinlay; children, Lori (Gene) Gendron, Dwayne McKinlay, Marcy (Steve) Hanson, Tracy (Garvin) Petreman, Clint McKinlay (Melissa Saville); numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, family, and friends. Bill was predeceased by his mother and father, brother and sister and daughters, Shannon and Teri and granddaughter, Brittany. Bill spent the majority of his life in the Kitscoty area working in the oilfield industry. He had a love for many hobbies that included playing with his grandchildren and great grandchildren, teasing his family, woodworking, gardening, reading Louis L’Amour novels, hunting and fishing. Bill's work was creative and meticulous and will be treasured by all. The funeral service was conducted on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 from Kitscoty Community Church with Reverend Bob Aldrich officiating. Eulogy was given by David Murray, Organist was John Scott, Honorary Pallbearers were Jim Kerr, Steven Hanson, Harvey McKinlay, Christopher Hanson, Stephen Griffiths and Garvin Petreman. In lieu of flowers donations in memory of Bill may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or Charity of Choice. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements. The family would like to thank Dr. Chapelski and the nurses at the Lloydminster Hospital, David and Wendy Murray, Kitscoty Community Church Choir and Lunch Committee, John Scott, Glen McCaw, Brian and Jeanie Hunter and Reverend Bob Aldrich. We also would like to thank those that reached out via phone calls, texts, flowers, cards, visits, donations to charity of their choice, food baskets and baking and to anyone that was a part of Bill's legacy. Eulogy ~ Given by David Murray Bill was born on September 9th, 1937 in Islay Alberta. Growing up in those days was much different than they are now but those years were some of the best years that made Bill the man he was. He had a firm demeanor, but one of the warmest hearts. He had the ability to make every member of the family feel safe… that’s not to say they didn’t have to run from him a few times. Given the fact his family inherited his instigating and mischievous ways. Bill had a playful sense of humor where he would enjoy teasing and getting a rise out of his family and friends. As a by standard, you couldn’t help but laugh at his snicker as it was so infectious. He was often set in his ways and reluctant to change opinions on some things, examples being Ford vs GMC and Oilers vs Penguins. Although he had a strong manner, his eyes would always gleam with pride when his family gathered. He sent a loving aurora as a husband, father, and grandfather. At a very young age Bill inherited determination and appreciation for hard work. He was a firm believer in doing the job right the first time. One of Bill's first jobs was with his step-father and a crew of men. The men were so amazed that this young boy could work right alongside of them without tiring out. The experience and the pride he felt, shaped him into the hard working man he was for the rest of his life. Bill was born to be behind the wheel and spent the majority of his working years driving trucks. He began driving a milk truck then soon moved to a highway hauler. From there he moved on to the rig moving industry and grew through the ranks and became a rig moving supervisor. Before he ended his trucking career, he worked for Heavy Crude hauling oil. Bill even had a CB radio in the kitchen and gave all the family members their own handles. One of the handles used for the kids was "motor mouth”!!! Everyone would love to sit and listen to his stories of growing up and all of the good times with his family and friends from back in the day. Boy would his face light up with the grin he wore so proudly. This grin will never be forgotten of him telling those stories to everyone. At times people would wonder, is this guy for real? To their amazement, he really was for real! It started at a very young age his love for firearms and hunting. One day Bill and a friend mischievously planned to hide their .22 calibre guns in a granary out in the field the day before they planned to skip school. To act less suspicious, they went home to do their chores. In the morning as they veered away from school and made their way to the granary, they threw their lunch kits in excitement. As Bill reached into the granary to grab his .22 when something latched onto his arm. To his surprise it was his step-father! Their full proof plan was no longer so certain and off to school they went. Bill used to make his own bullets, had a shooting range out in the field and went as far as making a shooting range in the basement. There was over 40 years of accumulated holes in the sheds, granaries, barns, birdhouses, camper trailer, spare tire, mom's cold room & canning pot… not kidding. He was a sharp shooter with a keen eye. The family enjoyed the many turkeys he won at the turkey shoots. Many childhood memories from the kids were learning how to shoot a gun while hunting and riding alongside him. Growing up, the family feared nothing as they always knew Bill was there to protect them from anything and everything. They honestly thought he was 10 feet tall and bullet proof and at times, he really was. He was very protective of his kids, that at times the girls didn't like it but he did have that reputation that eluded him. They had a hard time getting a date because all you would ever hear is, don't ask her to the dance, that is "Bill McKinlay's daughter." Even though he always took care of the kids and protected them, he also taught them to be strong and independent and take care of themselves. He even went as far as teaching all of them defensive moves and the best ways to protect themselves. There was even a set of bright red boxing gloves found in the living room for the kids to play with. We all have so many fond memories of Bill that we will hold close to our hearts. While he had a tough manly presence, he liked getting and giving hugs from those he cared about more than he let on. He even drove all the way to Swift Current to surprise his daughter in the hospital and spending that time together would have been so precious. He loved fishing, from the time he was a kid rowing across Frog Lake in a canoe, until just this past summer. He did not like it however, when his kids would catch 2 at a time and Bill wouldn't even get a bite. While he was a very good handyman and jack of all trades, he wasn't very good at keeping track of his tools. From the first day he put a wrench in his children's hands, until a few weeks ago, his children always got the blame if Bill couldn’t find something. Bill enjoyed spending time with his family and created many traditions over the years. Every Sunday the family would have popovers and roast, as well as homemade cream puffs followed by a Disney movie. Other nights were filled with his love for music and how he would turn the music up dancing around and playfully grabbing Joyce or the kids for a dance or two. The fun never stopped as they would enjoy milkshakes made by their dad. As enjoyable as it was for him to give whisker rubs, it wasn’t always as enjoyable to receive. They often spent time at his parents playing 31 and kings and little ones. Everyone made sure to have a pocket full of nickels and quarters for the card games they played. He loved his old jeans, his caps, and his nieces and nephews were so special to him. He would light up every time he was called, "Uncle Bill". When Bill received his first computer he was just getting into them. He was always calling his kids for information on how to use the technology. He soon became so proficient at it that before too long the kids were calling him for computer advice. He even video called one of the grandkids on the computer and to this day would never tell them how he had done it. On Bill's 75th birthday, his family planned a surprise party for him. They gave him a really nice box filled with letters that his children had written him, and only for him. What Joyce didn't know for years is that he had booby trapped the box. Did Bill ever love to tease and banter Joyce. He would always get Joyce going at any opportunity that arose. A few weeks ago, he asked Joyce if she had been into that box. She said no, but he insisted on checking. A few minutes later he came out of the bedroom and said, "Yeah you are right." for she had not glanced at the box. He had placed a piece of paper inside the lid and if the lid was lifted it would fall inside. This way he could track if Joyce had tampered with the box. Was she ever glad she never opened his memory box for he would have known. Bill was a very involved and a loving grandpa. He loved playing with his grandkids, even crawling underneath the table to play with his great grandchildren. Bill was playful, mischievous, and often an instigator in situations that left Joyce to be the rational and stricter grandparent. The grandchildren spent many summers at the farm where they would wake up to music playing and grandpa ready to whip up breakfast, usually his specialty was pancakes or waffles. Being the early riser, he sometimes had to wait a long time for the grandchildren to rise once they hit the teen years. He was the competitive type that provoked competition even if it was based on who could eat their pancakes the fastest. He enjoyed showing his grandkids the photos he printed and teased about the ones that weren't the most flattering. When he got a DVD burner, he promptly made copies of the animated kids show called the "Fluppies" which had been recorded on a VHS about 15 years earlier and watched a billion times by all the grandkids. Bill proudly showed off his abundance of abilities. He had a love for many hobbies that included woodworking, gardening, hunting, and fishing. These hobbies were enjoyed with all his family members. Bill's work was creative and meticulous. He made many gifts in the wood workshop for his family. He would even enjoyed showing off his garden, yard, and flowers as his love for his hobbies were apparent. He also loved going to motocross races all over AB and SK. He was on a first name basis with the cooks in the food truck at almost every race (sometimes we wondered if he just went for the burgers). He really enjoyed making sure all the kids were well fed, often using them to his advantage playfully telling Joyce that the kids REALLY wanted chocolate pie. Little did he know Joyce too used the grandchildren to her advantage. The grandchildren would say "Don't worry Granny, if you want something I will tell grandpa he always gets me the things that I want." These are some of the memories and stories that we have that made Bill McKinlay the one and only: *Years ago Bill had bought a car where the horn had been adjusted. It would do a cat call whistle (the kind of call a man made when they saw a pretty girl) instead of the familiar honk. Bill and his daughter, Marcy, were driving down Main Street in Lloydminster when she noticed two ladies standing on the corner of a street. Marcy waited until they got just before them, reached over and hit the horn so it would give a whistle. The women smiled and waved at Bill. Needless to say, he wasn't too happy with Marcy. When he got back home he told Joyce he was never taking her to town again. After many years he eventually found the story funny. * Bill was always there to be the big brother for his siblings. Like the time his little brother was caught smoking in the outhouse by their Mother Clara. She wanted Bill to run after his little brother and catch him for her so she could hand out some well-deserved punishment. Bill refused and was willing to pay the consequences if it meant his little brother got away. I think they both ended up feeling their Mom’s wrath eventually. *Bill had a unique way of dealing with people and situations. One time he received a visit after supper from a government employee wanting to conduct an unscheduled survey with him. Bill declined and said it was his bedtime and that he had to be up early in the morning. The visitor insisted that Bill do the survey right then and there by law. What did Bill do? He started taking his shirt off as he was walking to the bedroom to head to bed and told the visitor to make sure they shut the lights off and lock the door when they leave. *Bill's way of thinking took an ordinary situation and made it very memorable. Like the time his wife Joyce had baked some bread that had come out of the oven as hard as a rock. Joyce has always maintained that she ran out of propane, but no one really knows for sure. Regardless, Bill, being the supportive husband he was, wanted to show her that the bread was still good enough to cut up. How did he do that? By going outside and returning with the chainsaw. He fired it up and cut the bread in what used to be Mom’s spotless kitchen. She was very impressed. *One day Clint stopped by to visit. There was dad cutting the grass, wearing a straw hat and had his handgun tucked into the pouch on the side of his John Deere riding mower. Clint laughed and asked him what the gun was for. He said "You never know when you might see a gopher or potato bug". Potato Bug... really????? *Bill’s kids often enjoyed rides around the farm in the bucket of the tractor. Bill would end the ride by lifting the bucket as high in the air as it would go and shut the tractor off. He would then climb off the tractor, smile and head to the house. The kids would patiently wait for the hydraulic pressure in the tractor to slowly go down and the bucket would eventually lower enough for them to jump out. This process usually took about a half hour. It wasn’t until well into their adult years that the kids figured out why Bill was buying himself a half hour alone in the house with Mom. There is just something about Bill McKinlay; they don't make them like that anymore! In Bill's memory, we have envelopes at the entrance door enclosed with seeds that you can plant in spring for his love of gardening; we invite you to take one. The family welcomes you for lunch downstairs as we will be playing some of Bill's favorite music during the lunch.