May 30th, 2021

On May 30, 2021 Bill Amy died the golfers’ dream: on his favourite golf course playing with the one he loved. He scored a 43 on the front nine. Though tied with his wife Charmaine, he held hope of beating her on the back nine. On the 11th hole after he shanked his shot, he duffed his second into the sand, picked up his ball and called it day, literally. With a glance to meet eyes with his wife, he passed quickly.

Bill was born in 1946, in Winnipeg, MB, the first of Olive (Bowler) and Ernest Amy’s five children. He spent the best of his youth helping his Uncle Phil on the farm, where he learned how to drive tractor, play baseball, and make country-boy mischief competing with his older cousins to determine who could best wrangle the old farm bull by the tail.

Tired of the prairie climate, at 20 years old he left with only a few dollars in pocket to start life anew in Victoria, BC. He rented a room from Gertrude (Stearn) and Dave Mactier, parents of a lovely, joy-filled 16-year-old called Charmaine.

He built his life from scratch with pure grit and determination, as always making the most of very little. Working as a shoe salesman seven days a week, he impressed his future mother-in-law with his skill in maintaining his one and only good shirt, clean and pressed daily.

The Mactier family moved to Vancouver and Bill followed, working for Eaton’s in management. Not long after Charmaine’s graduation, the two married on Oct 12, 1968. Bill established his own company and the couple, and their two daughters, lived in Vancouver, Whalley, Langley, Aldergrove, Abbotsford and finally Kamloops. The family wondered if he was trying to return to his homeland. Turns out, he was.

Bill made Kamloops and surrounding area their forever home. Never one to sit on the sidelines when help was needed, he embedded himself deeply in the community.

Bill had a calling. He was drawn to solving complicated problems for the benefit of others.

He was president of The Sands development on East Barrier Lake tackling challenging issues such as developing a safer water system.

Not long after, he established a pool of volunteers to host the 2014 Seniors’ Summer Games at Sun Rivers Golf Course.

His swan song: the years he devoted to saving the Sun Rivers Golf course from closure by creating a member-shareholder structure in which golfers played a role not only on the greens but in saving the course itself, now known as the new Bighorn Golf and Country Club. Through Bill’s efforts, more than 300 of his neighbours and friends contributed to maintaining a viable golf course in their community.

He was deeply passionate about all his initiatives. But what brought him the most joy was the Thursday Morning Men’s Group that he started with eight participants. At its height, the group grew to 100 men who played with new members each week in order to make connections and develop lifelong friendships within the golf community that he so loved. Of all his commitments, the Men’s Group brought him the most joy.

Bill loved creating community on a large scale, but in his later years, it was his contributions to his family that he cherished the most. He was a gifted speaker and storyteller, and he used those traits to subtly pass on his wisdom to his grandchildren and the children of his friends, shaping them as people and parents.

Survived by his wife Charmaine; his daughters Sharilyn Amy (children Kieran and Laurel Mcfarlane) and Melissa Sales (Trent, and children Jenna, Madi Madland (Mixon), Daphne, Alex, and Olivia); his siblings Grace Amy (Fred Merrett), June Ebata (Barry), John Amy, and Dorothy Krohn (Lenard) and numerous nieces and nephews.

Every single one of us, blessed to know him. We have but one complaint about Bill Amy, he owed us more time.

A celebration of his life will be held at 10 a.m. on July 10, 2021 at Summit Drive Church, Kamloops, BC.

To express condolences, please visit Alternatives Funeral & Cremation.

 

• Date : 2021-05-30
• Location : Kamloops