William Dowding

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Bill and Pat Dowding within 11 days of each other. Predeceased by son Peter (1996). Lovingly remembered by their children Rick (Nancy), Judy, Debbie (Bob), John (Diane) and Kim. Cherished grandparents of Brian, Andrew, Scott, Heather, Christopher, Jade and Kelly and great-grandparents of Kaden, William, Savannah and Kamryn. Bill and Pat were married for 69 years, most of which where centered around their children. They provided an atmosphere of discipline and order combined with fun, laughter and love. There are many fond memories of birthdays, Christmases and other celebrations. Every night the family dinner table was entertaining! They became involved in the figure skating world when they put their children into skating lessons and then became very dedicated to the sport when some of the children advanced to competition level and eventually to Olympics. Bill volunteered his time for decades and used his expertise from the recording industry to continuously improve the quality of sound in ice rinks for the skaters and audience. In appreciation of his efforts he was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2010. Pat used her expertise in the fashion design industry to design and make high quality skating costumes for the competitors. She would sometimes stay up all night to get the perfect look and fit for a deadline. They instilled genuine life qualities in their children which are now being passed on to future generations. They will be deeply missed by all.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Bill's and Pat's memory at The Oakville Club, 56 Water Street, Oakville, ON. on Saturday, March 24 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Following will be a burial at St. Jude's cemetery in Oakville.