BIRKBECK, Cyril William “Bill”
With sadness in our hearts we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, and friend, Cyril “Bill” Birkbeck. After a short illness in hospital, Bill passed away peacefully on March 12, 2017. He was 84. Bill was born to parents Cyril and Helen Birkbeck on October 17, 1932 in Hamilton, ON. He was predeceased by his sister Barbara, and stepdaughter, Rachael Geisthardt Townsend. Bill is survived by his devoted wife, Mona (Yelland); children Tammy, Guy, Paul (Krista) of Toronto; Annika (Al), Christina (Paul), stepson Robert (Allison), all of BC. Bill is also survived by his older brother, Warren, of Burlington, ON. Bill’s grandchildren, 18 in all, were a special delight when they visited and entertained him. Bill had a distinguished career as a Chartered Accountant. He worked with many companies and industries, as well as operating his own business. He was a mentor to many, and enjoyed sitting with young aspiring business men and women while sharing his knowledge and experience. Bill’s unique humour, especially his silly jokes, will be missed by all who knew him. He had a tender heart, and was grateful to God for an abundant and rich life, particularly after the extraordinary success of a double lung transplant 25 years ago. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Central Okanagan Bursary & Scholarship Society (COBSS), Kelowna, or the BC Lung Association. A service to celebrate Bill’s life will be held at 1:00 pm on Sunday, April 2nd at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com, 250-860-7077. The service will also be live streamed.