Bill passed away January 26, 2024 in Nanton, Alberta. He was born in
Winnipeg, Manitoba on September 18, 1934 to Grace and Perry Dunn. Bill
was the oldest of three children, together with his brother Dave and sister
Dorothy.
He lived his first 52 years on the family farm in Springfield, Manitoba.
Bill attended a one room school, Oak Hummock throughout grades 1-8.
At age 16, he made a commitment to farming and attended the University
of Manitoba for a diploma in agriculture, preparing for the next chapter
where he and his brother Dave continued to farm the family property. In
1961 Bill married his sweetheart, Patricia O’Neill and had two children;
Tom, who was was born in 1962 and Eileen, who was born in 1963.
Bill was a Manitoba farmer by birth, but his dream was always to be a
Cowboy. Bill’s dream came true when he and Pat moved west to the Ranch
outside of Cayley in 1986, Raising Texas Longhorns, living in his log house
and enjoying mountain views on Mosquito Creek. He Embraced his new
ranch life and committed to building a strong community.
Bill joined the Alberta Texas Longhorn Association and was instrumental
in obtaining the formal recognition of the Cayley Stockyards as the
largest cattle shipping point in Western Canada. He volunteered at the
Round up camp at the Bar U Ranch National historic site, the Museum
of the Highwood, and his final project was to mark the Old Macleod trail
connecting Fort Benton, Montana to Calgary, Alberta. The final marker
signifying the end of the trail was recently installed in Calgary. Bill was
extremely proud to complete the project that was so near and dear to him
and the community.
He was also passionate about western history books and formed a small
bookstore called Cow Books. He was always excited about locating
obscure books that people were looking for. He was a passionate historian,
especially for Southern Alberta ranching and cowboy history. One of his
proudest moments was receiving the Calgary Stampede Western Legacy
Award for his volunteer work in the local community. He never failed
to show off his prize belt buckle to anyone he met. He was always so
proud of his grandchildren Alexandra, Taryn, Bryce, and Fiona and his
5 great-grandchildren.
Bill leaves his legacy with his sister Dorothy (Nat); children Tom (Mia) and
Eileen (Rob); grandchildren Alexandra (Will), Taryn (Chris), Bryce and Fiona;
and five great grandchildren.
He is predeceased by his dear wife Patricia, his brother Dave, and his
parents Grace and Perry.
Happy trails to you Bill, until we meet again.
