Obituary of William Rowland Amery

September 11, 1923 – Crossfield, Alberta

April 9, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta

William Amery, of Calgary, AB, passed away on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at the age of 100 years, at the Foothills Medical Centre after a brief illness.

He farmed beef cattle and grew barley, canola, and wheat in the Madden District, west of Crossfield for most of his life before retiring to Airdrie and then Calgary. Several times a week he would work on the farm all day then drive into Calgary to work out, play handball, and visit with his friends at the Royal Canadian Legion.

He served overseas during the Second World War, training as an Air Gunner with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). After serving with the RCAF, he attended Olds College and became a successful farmer. 

Bill lived life to the fullest. He enjoyed literature and poetry, especially Rudyard Kipling. He was a music lover who played the trumpet. He also enjoyed listening to jazz, classical, and classic country music, especially Ian Tyson. Bill was also an avid athlete who enjoyed skiing, playing handball, golf, hockey, baseball, and tennis. Even at 100, he enjoyed regular exercise classes. 

He also enjoyed travelling throughout Canada, especially BC, loved the mountains, and travelled overseas to Hawaii, Cuba, Russia, Panama, and the Middle East to name a few places.

Bill loved his independence but always had family and a dedicated core group of friends who enjoyed visiting with him and who will miss him greatly.

We will always remember his sense of humour, sense of adventure and words of wisdom. May he live with us forever in our hearts.

Bill leaves behind his son Richard, daughter Erica, and his sister Frances. He was predeceased by his wife Betty Amery (née Fuson) in 2004 and his sister Arlene  Barroll in 2002.

A Memorial Service will be held at Centre Street Church “Central Campus” (3900 – 2nd Street N.E., Calgary, AB) in Chapel B on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. (parking at the west entrance). Following the service relatives and friends are invited to meet with the family at the Chapelhow Royal Canadian Legion (606, 38 Avenue N.E.) for a Celebration of Bill Amery’s Life. A private interment ceremony at the Crossfield Cemetery will be held at a later date.

If friends and family so desire, flowers are welcome or memorial tributes may be made directly to the Poppy Fund, 2020 – 15th Street NW, Calgary, AB T2M 3N8, Telephone: (403) 265-6304, www.poppyboxabnwt.com, or the A.L.S. Society of Alberta (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), 7874 – 10th Street N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 8W1, www.alsab.ca.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Bill’s family here.

In living memory of Bill Amery, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.