With heavy hearts, we announce that Bill passed away on January 3rd in Winnipeg at the age of 93 years.

 

He is predeceased by his first wife Hilda (Uhrich). Leaves to mourn their children Karen Line (Murray), David Burton (Michele Quaglia) and Linda Menne (Rob); grandchildren Curtis Line (Crystal), Heather (Walmar), Kyle Menne (Amy Schmidt), Nicole Zarazun (Dane), Allysha Pondy (Dan), Marin Burton (Chris Rochon), William Reid Lingen Burton and Kira Burton (Quinn Wichers); great grandchildren Josh and Connor, Dylan Line, Olive Menne, Laura Zarazun, Emma Pondy and Anthony Rochon. He is also mourned by his half-sister Irene Fornarola and her family in Rochester, New York and his cousin Fran Haslett of Victoria, British Columbia. Bill also leaves to mourn his wife of 40 years, Lorraine, her children Grant (Sharon Franco), Lendre (King) and Jay (Nicole) and her grand children Dustin (Amy) and Alexia.  

 

Bill was born in Chicago in 1928 to Gladys Evelyn Shepherd and Robert William Lingen Burton. After his mother’s death in 1934, Bill was adopted by his aunt Dorothy Cronk (Kenneth) and moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As a teenager Bill spent his spare time pursuing his hobby of building and flying model airplanes. During WWII, Bill enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and received his pilot license, but the war ended before he was deployed. After the war Bill worked for Drewry’s Brewery Limited in Saskatoon which became Carling/O’Keefe. In 1952 he married Hilda Irene Uhrich and in 1954 Carling/O’Keefe sent Bill, Hilda, and Karen to New York City, where Bill went to school to become a Brew Master. After brewery school, Bill became the Assistant Brew Master at the Carling/O’Keefe plant on Redwood Avenue in Winnipeg. He held this position until the late 70’s when he became the Head Brew Master and later held the position of Head Brew Master and Assistant Plant Manager until his retirement in 1989 when Carling/O’Keefe merged with Molson.

 

As a young couple in Winnipeg, Bill and Hilda were avid outdoors people and spent most of their summers camping and fishing, especially at Otter Falls and West Hawk Lake. In 1969, Bill and Hilda bought a cottage at Rush Bay in The Lake of Woods where some of the family still cottage to this day.

 

After the passing of Hilda in 1977, Bill met Lorraine and they were married in 1981. They purchased their home in Fort Garry where the backyard pool became a focal point for many summer parties including elaborate themed Canada Day events. Both Bill and Lorraine enjoyed the antics of their backyard birds for whom Bill diligently cleared a winter path so that he could give them their daily feeding.   

 

Bill was an active member of the Master Brewery’s Association of America. He is predeceased by many Association friends, including Bill Hansen and Jerry Oliver.

 

In Accordance with Bill’s wishes, cremation/burial has taken place and no formal service will be held.