Bill Belanger's Celebration of Life

Please join us as we celebrate the life of Bill Belanger.

At 1:00 we will have short presentations from: Bill's cherished sister Ann Belanger, an old friend since his Christie Lake days (Ron Ensom), a beloved former student (Don MacGregor), his dear water-safety friend of more than 50 years (Jim O'Brien) and a longtime friend and former elementary student (Tom Ritchie). After, we invite you stay and visit with old friends and new.

As many of you know, our father had a deep love of log buildings. Timber Run is a beautiful log structure that is almost equal driving distance from Ottawa and the Big Rideau Lake: the two communities that he called home.

We are honored to have you join us. Our father touched many lives and we encourage you to attend. Please register on this website if you plan to attend. Your registration will help us to plan the event and to ensure that this invitation has reached all those who may want to attend.

We look forward to spending time with you while we collectively remember Bill.

Thank you,

Kristine and Jeff Belanger (Bill's children)

The photo above was taken in the summer of 2017 on the Big Rideau Lake; Bill was 81 years of age and in his happy place. Bill's Obituary appears below:

Obituary

William Allan (Bill) Belanger

February 10, 1936 - December 20, 2017

William Allan (Bill) Belanger passed away suddenly en route to visiting family in Calgary on December 20, 2017. Although ill with cancer, his zest for life and his search for purpose was unwavering. He was passionate about education , being a teacher, principal and Ottawa Teacher's College master. He spent the last 25 years of his professional journey as a professor at the University of Ottawa in the faculty of Education. His professional contributions echoed his life outside work. He was intrigued with the idea of perspective and found value in what others brought to a situation, regardless of their age or position. He embraced innovation and creativity. He was generous with his time, having a long history of volunteering with numerous organizations, such as the Red Cross (Water Safety), Christie Lake Camp and more recently the Big Rideau Lakes Association. Towards the end of his life, he realized a life-long dream of living in a log home he built in a community where, in his words, "the houses were farther apart but the people were closer together". Bill will be deeply missed for his generous spirit, his quirky sense of humour, his youthful outlook and his desire to pursue the "road less travelled". He is survived by his wife Donna Belanger and is cherished by their two children, Jeff (Ottawa) and Kristine (Calgary). He is lovingly remembered by his granddaughters (Shaelin and Raia of Calgary), his treasured sister Ann Belanger (Uxbridge) and his brother Paul Belanger (Tuscon). Bill valued and enjoyed his friends and his community; please know you were very important to him. The family thanks Dr. Peter Kuling for the outstanding medical care he offered to Bill over the years; Bill was grateful for your humanity and support.

In memory of Bill, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Alzheimer Society of Canada.