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Helen Kathleen (nee Maguire) Wilson

December 20, 2003

WILSON, Helen Kathleen Wilson (nee Maguire)

passed away in her sleep on December 20, 2003, at the age of 92. Her husband,

WILSON, William Moir Gartshore

passed away on December 21, 2003 at the age of 94.

This is truly a love story - they were happily married for 63 years, and neither would have wanted to continue on without the other. We believe they are in a better place. Helen Maguire was born and raised in Vancouver. She was beautiful, athletic and intelligent, graduating from UBC at the age of 19. She was the first person hired by United Airlines in Vancouver. Helen devoted her married life to creating a home where everyone in the large extended family was welcome.

Bill Wilson was born in London, ON, but grew up in Vancouver. He obtained a medical degree from University of Toronto in 1935, and subsequently returned to British Columbia, where he joined a medical practice in Kamloops. Helen and Bill had met many years earlier as teenagers on the beach at Qualicum, and proximity allowed the acquaintance to be renewed and blossom. They were wed in 1940. Bill served overseas in W.W.II with the Canadian Army 13th Field Ambulance, and was promoted to the rank of Major and awarded the O.B.E. On his return, Bill specialized as an eye surgeon and practiced ophthalmology in Vancouver. He had a distinguished career, serving a term as president of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. In 1979, Helen and Bill moved to semi-retirement in Qualicum Beach.

They are sadly missed by Bill’s sister, Margaret Rowan-Legg; sisters-in-law Ruth Brazier and Barbara Maguire; and by their sons, Jack and David, their daughter-in-law, Elsemarie; their grandchildren, Kimberley and Robert; and numerous nephews and nieces.

A joint memorial service to celebrate their lives together will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, January 3, 2004 at St. Stephen’s United Church, 150 Village Way in Qualicum Beach.

Donations in their memory may be made to the Brown Property Preservation Society, 2-707 Primrose Street, Qualicum Beach, V9K 2K1.



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