Bill passed away Sunday, March 5, 2006. He had been born March 30, 1929 in Hopkinsville, Ky. to Frances and J.W. Adair.
He lived his younger life in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he met his wife, Faith, during a hurricane in 1949.
Bill was working as a volunteer for the American Red Cross, on leave from the U.S. Army, where he served as a 2nd Lieutenant in Fort Sam Houston, while Faith was working to save some equipment from her place of work when he rescued her from a collapsing building.
They dated and married on April 9, 1950.
Bill and Faith began to have a family, and in the pursuit of making a living moved several times, making their home in such locales as Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla., Savannah, Ga., and Baltimore, Md. among other locations.
They moved to Canada in the early 1960s, residing in Port Lambton, Sombra, and Kirkland Lake, Ont. Prior to settling in Fort Frances, Ont. in 1972, Bill and Faith had completed 43 changes of their home location.
As a young man, Bill had dreams of living in the Canadian wilderness.
Prior to living in the Fort, Bill had worked as a police officer, ambulance attendant, volunteer fireman, a landfill worker, assistant superintendent for a dredging operation on the Great Lakes with the Cartengena, and in heavy and high-rise construction work.
He also was involved with the Boy Scouts of America and Canada for 27 years, with seven of those years as a leader and Eagle Scout.
Bill was well-known as a teacher at the Fort Frances High School, spending 20 years at this vocation, starting in Wallaceburg, then Kirkland Lake and Levack, Ont., prior to coming to Fort Frances.
Many times during the 1970s and the ’80s, he led trips to Walt Disney World in Florida for the high school students and, on occasion, doing the driving himself.
He was active in his church, St. Mary’s, acting as choir director for 11 years, marriage prep instructor with his wife, and being ordained as a Catholic deacon for the St. Mary’s Church and Bear’s Pass Chapel on Oct. 9, 1999.
He also served with the Knights of Columbus as district deputy for the Rainy River District, reaching the position of Knight of the 4th Degree.
Bill loved to cook and took every opportunity to share this with his family and the community.
After retiring as a teacher, he filled his time with support to his church, as a driving instructor, and with his property on the Finger Point of Shelter Cove on Rainy Lake.
He was predeceased by his father, James William (J.W.) Adair Sr. (1906-86); mother, Mary Frances Adair ,nee Fuller (1900-1992); sister, Christine Scotton in 2004; nephew, Jeffery Rayford Adair (1956-1978); and daughter-in-law, Patricia, in 1994.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Faith Louise Adair (nee Speeder); brother, Curtis Stewart Adair of West Palm Beach, Fla.; cousin, Richard Adair of Hendersonville, N.C.; and numerous other cousins.
Also surviving are his children and their families, Terry Michiel (son-in-law Dennis), David Adair-Happy (daughter-in-law Rhonda), Merry Sue Adair-Gill, (son-in-law Roderick), George Adair (daughter-in-law Valerie), Jeri Lefleche (son-in-law David), Kerry Harper (son-in-law Richard), Jesse (James) (daughter-in-law Barbara), John (daughter-in-law Teresa), and Bosko and Jovanka Stopa; 26 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and four Godchildren.
The grandchildren and great-grandchildren will make up the pallbearers and honourary pallbearers.
A vigil will be held Thursday, March 9, 2006 at 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Fort Frances. The funeral will be held Friday, March 10, 2006 at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon around 12:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church.
The ashes will be laid to final rest after a family service this summer at the Bear’s Pass Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that in memoriam donations be made to the Tamarack House at Medical Centre Tamarack House, Suite 501, 984 Oliver Rd., Thunder Bay, Ont., P7B 7C7.
‘Never to Leave You’
The hours and the days and weeks
That you have been my own
Have made it quite impossible
For me to feel alone.
I mean the many times that I
Have had to travel far
And every night I had to wish
Upon a distant star.
I never feel alone because
Wherever I may be
In all my thoughts and dreams of you
I hold you close to me.
I do not feel alone, although
I miss you desperately
Because I have your promise dear
That you are true to me.
But oh, I hope the day is soon
When I shall leave you never
And I shall be with you, my love . . .
Forever and forever.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
