Obituary of William John Roman

William (Bill) Roman, beloved husband of Ella of Calgary, passed away on Thursday, September 13, 2007 at the age of 83 years. Bill was born in 1924 near Lvov, in the Ukraine. In 1930, he immigrated with his mother to Canada, rejoining his father Anton who had come the previous year and settled in Lethbridge, AB. Here he learned English, a love of hockey and the joy of listening to far away places on his home-made radio. This radio “experience” landed him a radio operator spot when he joined the Canadian Merchant Navy in 1942, where he travelled across dangerous waters as far-flung from Canada as the Bahamas, Argentina and across the Atlantic to South Africa. He received his radio training in Toronto, ON where he also returned after the war to commence an electrical engineering degree at the University of Toronto in 1948. During his first year at university, the dashing ex-seaman was introduced to Ella, who became his wife in 1952. After graduation they moved to Calgary, beginning a long and successful career with Shell Canada. Pioneering sour gas processing at Jumping Pound and co-designing and engineering the plant in Waterton were but a few of his accomplishments. He also established safety and environmental processes still in use today. After his retirement from Shell Canada in 1984, Bill took a consulting engagement with the Shell parent company SIPM in the Netherlands. Accepting the job only on condition that his wife could travel with him, he and Ella were to spend a week in Holland followed by three weeks in other exotic parts of the world such a Brunei, Venezuela, Egypt, Turkey, Oman, Gabon, Tunisia and such while Bill conducted a safety audit or facility inspection. Bill retired for good in 1986 and resettled in Calgary with Ella, where they now had the time to dote on a growing number of grandchildren. Bill will be sadly missed, as will his story-telling. He led an adventurous life, full of travel and exploration, and touched the lives of many, deeply. Besides his loving wife Ella, Bill will be remembered and greatly missed by his two sons and daughters-in-law Keith and Wendy Roman of Stavely, AB, Ken and Nadine Roman of Calgary, AB; and his daughter and son-in-law Carol and Brian Hughes of Calgary, AB. Also left with many cherished memories are the grandchildren he loved, Davis and Leland Roman, Arden Hughes, Diana Roman Spence; and his sister and brother-in-law Mary and John Fury of Lethbridge, AB. An opportunity for family and friends to reminisce will be announced at a later date. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Canadian Diabetes Association, #204, 2323 – 32nd Avenue N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 6Z3 Telephone: (403) 266-0620, ext. 112, www.diabetes.ca. or to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, 200, 119 – 14th Street N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1Z6 Telephone: (403) 264-5549, www.heartandstroke.ca. In living memory of Bill Roman, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES Park Memorial Chapel, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W. Telephone: (403) 243-8200