William Charles Holmes
July 5, 1964 to March 17, 2026
We are heartbroken to share that William (Bill) Holmes passed away on March 17, 2026 at the age of 61.
Bill spent his final moments at Bethell Hospice in Inglewood, Ontario after a courageous year-long fight against cancer.
He loved his family deeply and will be sorely missed by his long-time partner of 24 years, Bernie O’Leary, and his devoted son, Chris.
In addition to Bernie and Chris, Bill is survived by his mother Doris, sister Dana and her husband Anto, as well as his nieces Daniella and Nadia and nephew Anthony. He also leaves behind a large extended family in Canada and Malta, including numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors. Bill cherished spending time with his nieces watching classic movies and introducing them to the quirky TV shows he enjoyed growing up.
Bill was preceded in death by his son Robert at age 15 in 2009 and his father William (Bill) in 2024.
He had a fulfilling career at Mevotech that lasted over thirty years where he earned great respect from everyone around him. Colleagues remember Bill as warm-hearted, optimistic, selfless, kind and always ready to help others even if it meant putting himself second. He believed every issue could be resolved over coffee and added joy to meetings with his quick humor. He had an incredible talent for lifting people’s spirits; being around him always made you feel a bit better.
Traveling was another passion of Bill’s; he explored many places throughout the years. His work often took him on journeys which he relished as chances to discover new cities. The more complicated the travel route was with planes involved, the more thrilling it became for him. Airports fascinated him along with airplanes themselves. A dedicated collector of Aeroplan points, he loved using them for trips with family.
A natural entertainer in the kitchen too, Bill enjoyed cooking effortlessly. Everyone looked forward to his dinner gatherings where glasses were never empty and no one left feeling hungry.
An intelligent conversationalist who spoke confidently about various topics made discussions enjoyable with him. His love for history shone through particularly regarding World War II along with Jewish and German narratives; he amassed quite an impressive collection of books on these subjects. Always engaging company during conversations about movies or current events or even wine pairings was something Bill excelled at.
You are dearly loved Bill; we will miss you forever!
As per Bill’s wishes, services will be private.
If you’d like to honor Bill’s memory with a donation please contribute to: Bethell Hospice/Bethell Hospice Foundation
15835 Mclaughlin Rd., Inglewood, ON, L7C 1L1
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