Obituary: Bill Harkley

Captain William (Bill) Harkley passed away, peacefully, on his own terms at his home on Salt Spring Friday February 26, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Janice, his children Graham (Sharon) Harkley, his daughter Laureen Hooker, his son in law Ross Hooker, his stepson Pete ( Jamie) Shpak , 5 grandchildren Nick, Jenna, Grace, Evan, Kennedy, his sister Cathy (Les) Bayer and the mother of his children, Marilyn Harkley.

Bill was born in Vancouver August 31, 1940. Flying was his career and his life. He started flying in the bush in Northern Ontario and was eventually hired by Pacific Western Airlines May 1, 1969. He flew on all continents, except Antarctica. On March 27, 1980 Bill confirmed to YVR control that Mt. Saint Helens had, indeed, erupted as the plane he was flying was right there. By the time Bill retired fully from the airlines in 2010, he had flown through the mergers of Pacific Western Airlines, Canadian Pacific Airlines, Wardair Canada, and Air Canada. He never thought of flying as work, it was such a joy for him to fly, to experience the world, and to spend time with his airline crews.

Bill was always and forever an adventurer...from sailing to Hawaii on a 8 meter sailboat with Charlie and Margo White (Charlies Chart’s), to cycling from Vancouver to San Francisco in 10 days, to circumnavigating Vancouver Island solo on his 22 foot NonSuch at age 68, to riding a motorcycle with his dear friend Steve Knight over the Altas Mountains into the Sahara at age 70. This amazing man never stopped exploring and continuously inspires those who knew him to do the same.

Bill and Janice were married in 1991. Together they created 3 businesses, River Run Cottages in Ladner, Salt Spring Winery on Salt Spring and Salt Spring Mercantile on Salt Spring. You can tell that Bill never sat still, we called him the “Energizer Bunny”. To be diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy made collective sense of the many symptoms he had experienced over the past several years. It is rare and untreatable. He spent his last months in Ladner, watching the river run.

Bill was a man filled with gratitude and kindness, a loving husband, father and grandfather. A celebration of his life will be held this summer, pandemic permitting, on the docks of his son’s home in Ladner.

Our special thanks to the medical community on Salt Spring that were so caring. In lieu of flowers, a contribution to a charity of your choice in Bill’s memory would be lovely.

March 1, 2021 12:33 PM