William Ivor Williams

Sally and I spent the first years of our marriage living just across the road from Gerry and Judie in St. Albert - we watched Jill and Beth grow and it seemed that, even though they lived in Regina, Ivor and Dulcie were always there - and they became our friends too. He knew that I loved his cars so he'd always insist that I take his Mercedes or his Saab for a drive - then, when he heard that I was racing go-karts in Saskatoon in 1980 and 1981, he and Dulcie would appear and want to help - magic! Then he and Dulcie were around as we raised our 3 sons in St. Albert. Ivor often provided me with English newspapers and I remember when I gave him a copy of a 1984 re-release of the Daily Mirror from June 6 1944 - he looked at it and said 'I did the last patrol over the beaches on June 5'!! This man was very much part of world history - more importantly, I'm very glad he was part of ours. RIP Ivor - we'll miss you. ❤ Alan & Sally Toft

(Donated to Kiwanis Club of Middlesex Inc.)

(Donated to Kiwanis Club of Middlesex Inc.)

(Donated to Westmount Presbyterian Church)

(Donated to Ryerson School of Journalism Del Bell Memorial Award)

(Donated to Westmount Presbyterian Church)

The Free Press family of the 1970's was anchored by Ivor Williams ... kind, knowledgeable, creative and totally unconcerned with rank. Wherever he was -- newsroom, press club or catching whitefish at the base of Bow Falls in Banff, I always knew I was in the presence of a gentleman and a friend. I worked for him for a couple of years in London and again, for a couple of years at The Leader-Post in Regina. After Regina I headed west (Victoria and then Smithers) and he, eventually, moved back to London. But we kept in touch every Christmas, his letters always ending with a request I keep him and Dulcie posted on what I was doing. The hand written card I got just three weeks before he died requested the same again. Thanks Ivor for introducing me to the newspaper game and for caring. One could not ask for a better mentor and friend.

Ivor flew Spitfires with my grandfather in WWII. He was very generous with his time and compassion sharing stories about those days and the grandfather I never knew. Please accept my condolences for the loss of your beloved father and friend.

Dear Judie, Garry, and Family, Please accept our heartfelt condolences. Ivor was a special friend and mentor- a strong community leader ; a man of honour ; and above all a loving husband and father. We'll remember him with the greatest respect. He leaves behind a wonderful legacy- a lovely family. Both Ivor and Dulcie will be fondly remembered and sorely missed-especially by their friends at the Kiwanis Club of Middlesex ......... With love and sympathy, John and Mary Longworth

To all Ivor's family - Philip and I, as Heidi's cousins, didn't know Ivor and Dulcie well. But we remember the happy times at the family cottage when Garry and Heidi would bring them to visit. And how Ivor so enjoyed climbing down to the lake, as if he were quietly embracing the world. And the world, him. Thank you, dear Williams family, for these Ivor-Dulcie memories, and for the continuing presence of your succeeding generations in our lives.

Dearest Jude and Ger & Family and Garry and Heidi & Family, Holding you close in thought as we all remember your dear Dad with love. So many happy memories of this strong gentleman. With heartfelt sympathy and warm hugs, Sandy and Larry xoxo

As a fellow past president of Vimy Branch 145, R.C. Legion, I always found Ivor to be very helpful and supportive. He was ever a gentleman and his sense of humour was always a keynote. He will be sorely missed by his many legion buddies and countless friends from a variety of fields. I will especially miss swapping lies with him about the hearing aids which neither of us seldom ever wore. My condolences to all his family but particular sympathy to Judie (from our days in the 1960's at Mountsfield PS.)

It was my privilege, and good fortune, to work for Ivor at The Leder-Post for 15 years. He taught me so much and helped me find my way in my first attempt at management with sage advice and a firm but helping hand. He was so proud of his children and grandchildren. He was a newspaperman's newspaperman, a person to cherish and enjoy and a man of honour and dignity.RIP, Ivor from one of your many lucky protégés!

Ivor hired me back when I was a very green rookie reporter and was kind, supportive yet constructively demanding as I slowly found my way. I never had a better boss and I can say with total confidence that many of the hardest hardboiled journalist I ever knew would agree with me completely. I am sad to see him go, but I know he will be happier when he's with Dulcie again.

On behalf of myself and my mom we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Williams family on the passing of Ivor. Both me and my mom appreciate the time Ivor took to share his personal stories of serving in Squadron 443. As Arthurs Great Niece it was an amazing honor for me to personally meet someone who served with my Great Uncle. I never had the privilege to meet my Great Uncle but the stories Ivor shared definitely brought this great man to life. Your Father and Grandfather will always hold a special place in our hearts. It was a pleasure for us to meet both your parents. God Bless.

My condolence to Garry and Judie and family. I remember Ivor as a kind boss when I was his secretary and he was the Managing Editor at the London Free Press. He and his pipe would take numerous tours around the newsroom each day talking with reporters and editors as he went along. The wonderful memories of your Dad and Mom will be a great comfort to you. Heather Rennison

I will always remember Ivor as a kind, gentle and considerate man. My heart goes out to his family who, along with his friends, will miss him greatly. You have much of which to be proud!

My Grandparents were pretty amazing and I was lucky to grow up with Grandparents like them. Even though we lived far away from them for the first part of my life, I have many happy memories of their visits to us and our summer visits to them and a few odd memories along the Yellowhead Highway in between. They're all floating around in my head today and I'm honestly surprised by how many there are! Admittedly, some are pretty foggy because I was a child but some are so, so clear. One of my favourite memories is of raising my Grandfather's flag in his backyard in Regina. Eventually, my Grandma and Grandpa moved back to London and they lived about 5 minutes from us. We had big family holiday meals and Sunday dinners, they watched an endless number of sporting events and school concerts and eventually high school and university graduations and took great pleasure in helping us when we needed them. After my parents returned to Alberta, Grandma and Grandpa's place became a home to go to on weekends from university, it was very much a refuge where we could study for exams, get together with friends or just hang out. They picked us up from the train station, lent us their car and invited our friends into their home with open arms. One time they even drove all the way from London to Waterloo to pick me up, bring me to their place and nurse me back to health when I was sick. Another time, they drove my roommate and I home late at night because our train never came and I had a paper due in the morning. They often appeared in odd places to watch Ringette games, they'd happily drive a couple of hours to watch their grandchildren play a sport they loved. It was a hard transition for us when our parents moved back to Alberta and Grandma and Grandpa stepped right in and made is so much easier. As we grew and moved on from University we always knew that they were there when we needed love and support. I will never forget the animal sounds, the visits to the Regina Leader Post, the Roughrider games or all those $20 bills that Grandpa used to slip me (often right before of after Grandma had slipped me one of her own). I will never forget the way my oldest daughter Madi adored him and how he looked at her with such fascination or the way he used to touch my youngest daughter Ali's feet and hold his hand out for hers while he looked at her with pure joy. He never forgot to ask my husband, Jason how his beloved Roughriders were doing and to ask about the most recent scores. As we get older, we often see less of our Grandparents as we move away and have families of our own but we never forget that childhood feeling of excitement knowing that they're coming for Christmas or wondering what cool things we'll do with on our summer visit. We never forget raising the flag, getting lost trying to find them at work or having them chuckle when we once again land our butts in the penalty box. We never forget their kindness or all their guidance along the way. Our grandparents are a big part of who we are. My Grandpa overcame a lot in his life to become the Grandpa and Great Grandpa that he was and I know that he left behind four granddaughters and five great grandchildren that are so very thankful that he did. My grandpa used to walk our dog when we were growing up. He loved to walk her in the woods. She used to get so excited when she saw him coming. While he was walking, he'd plant tulips back in the woods for everyone to enjoy. I bet they're still there now making people smile just like all the memories that he's left us with. Now, Grandpa is with Grandma and I bet he found that old family dog along the way and maybe they'll plant more tulips or maybe they just sit back and watch all the tulips they've already planted grow. I'll miss you Gramps, thanks for the amazing memories!

My Grandparents were pretty amazing and I was lucky to grow up with Grandparents like them. Even though we lived far away from them for the first part of my life, I have many happy memories of their visits to us and our summer visits to them and a few odd memories along the Yellowhead Highway in between. They're all floating around in my head today and I'm honestly surprised by how many there are! Admittedly, some are pretty foggy because I was a child but some are so, so clear. One of my favourite memories is of raising Grandpa's flag in his yard in Regina. Eventually, my Grandma and Grandpa moved back to London and they lived about 5 minutes from us. We had big family holiday meals and Sunday dinners, they watched an endless number of sporting events and school concerts and eventually high school and university graduations and took great pleasure in helping us when we needed them. After my parents returned to Alberta, Grandma and Grandpa's place became a home to go to on weekends from university, it was very much a refuge where we could study for exams, get together with friends or just hang out. They picked us up from the train station, lent us their car and invited our friends into their home with open arms. One time they even drove all the way from London to Waterloo to pick me up, bring me to their place and nurse me back to health when I was sick. Another time, they drove my roommate and I home late at night because our train never came and I had a paper due in the morning. They often appeared in odd places to watch Ringette games, they'd happily drive a couple of hours to watch their grandchildren play a sport they loved. It was a hard transition for us when our parents moved back to Alberta and Grandma and Grandpa stepped right in and made is so much easier. As we grew and moved on from University we always knew that they were there when we needed love and support. I will never forget the animal sounds, the visits to the Regina Leader Post, the Roughrider games or all those $20 bills that Grandpa used to slip me (often right before of after Grandma had slipped me one of her own). I will never forget the way my oldest daughter Madi adored him and how he looked at her with such fascination or the way he used to touch my youngest daughter Ali's feet and hold his hand out for hers while he looked at her with pure joy. He never forgot to ask my husband, Jason how his beloved Roughriders were doing and to ask about the most recent scores. As we get older, we often see less of our Grandparents as we move away and have families of our own but we never forget that childhood feeling of excitement knowing that they're coming for Christmas or wondering what cool things we'll do with on our summer visit. We never forget raising their flag, getting lost trying to find them at work or having them chuckle when we once again land our butts in the penalty box. We never forget their kindness or all their guidance along the way. Our grandparents are a big part of who we are. My Grandpa overcame a lot in his life to become the Grandpa and Great Grandpa that he was and I know that he left behind four granddaughters and five great grandchildren that are so very thankful that he did. My grandpa used to walk our dog when we were growing up. He loved to walk her in the woods. She used to get so excited when she saw him coming. While he was walking, he'd plant tulips back in the woods for everyone to enjoy. I bet they're still there now making people smile just like all the memories that he's left us with. Now, Grandpa is with Grandma and I bet he found that old family dog along the way and maybe they'll plant more tulips or maybe they just sit back and watch all the tulips they've already planted grow. I'll miss you Gramps, thanks for the amazing memories!

To all the family we hold you in our prayers and give thanks for the lives of Ivor and Dulcie who for awhile both lived with us at Inspirit Residences and later for Ivor at Highview. Ivor was a true gentleman. He would faithfully attend The Gallery Sessions at Inspirit that detailed the life and works of various artists and was always so supportive and keenly interested in learning and discussing many different aspects of their work. He also helped out with our newsletters and we could not have found anyone better. He was truly a good man and will be sorely missed. Blessings Cathy and Ross