Obituary – HORTON, William Manus “Bill”
William Manus “Bill” Horton – 89, of Kentville, Nova Scotia passed away in Soldiers Memorial Hospital – Veterans Unit, Middleton, Nova Scotia on Sunday, January 10, 2010. Bill was born in Port Williams, the only child of the late William Brady and Effie (Holden) Horton. Bill spent most of his life in Kentville where he had brought his bride to live after the war had ended in 1945. He graduated from Kings County Academy with honours in 1940. He served in the RCAF during the Second World War working as an airframe mechanic on various designs of aircraft. In 1941 Bill joined the Kentville Volunteer Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter and in 2003 he was honoured by the department for being its oldest veteran member. In 1941, with no regard for his own life, Bill retrieved a young girl who had broken through the ice on Mill Brook. Bill was successful in rescuing her but she was unable to be revived by medical personnel. His act of heroism was noted in various newspapers throughout Nova Scotia.
Bill was also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Kings Branch No. 6, Kentville. He worked at T.P. Calkin Ltd. for 23 years. Bill was an avid stamp collector and had compiled an extensive collection throughout his lifetime. He was also an award winning photographer and continued to take photographs well into his eighties. He was also a member of the Kentville Gun club and enjoyed hunting and fishing and was a member of the Kings County Wildlife Association and the Blomidon Naturalist Society. He and Del were keenly interested in genealogy and traced the Horton family lines back thirteen generations to 1600. After retirement he and Del traveled to various parts of the world but mostly they spent their time with family over at their cottage, Whispering Pines, in New London, Prince Edward Island and at the Hummingbird cottage at Aylesford Lake. He was a keen sailor and with his sons won several first place banners as captain of the Peregrine Falcon…”Perry”. Bill was a member of St. James Anglican Church, Kentville where at many turkey dinners Bill carved the turkeys.
He is survived by his two sons, Eric (Nancy) of Fall River and Kenneth (Barbara) of Mt. Uniacke; son in law, Paul Longley of Kentville; four grandchildren, Scott (Ailie) Longley, Sherri Longley, Shaun (Krista) Horton and Lyndsey Horton; five great grandchildren, Kourtnie Evans, Timothy and Brittany Longley, Ethan and Austin Horton. Bill is also survived by a sister in law, Dorothy Clarke in Prince Edward Island. Besides his parents, Bill was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Adell “Dell” (Parkman) Horton; his daughter, Ann Louise Longley and great granddaughter, Emily Jean Longley. Good bye Bill, Dad, Grampie, Gramps, and Grampie Bill. Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, January 13, 2010 with a Royal Canadian Legion service to be held at 7:00 p.m., both in the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville. The funeral service, followed by a reception, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 14, 2010 in St. James Anglican Church, Kentville, Archdeacon Lynn Uzans officiating. Burial will take place in the Elm Grove Cemetery, Steam Mill, Kings County. Family Flowers only, by request. Donations in memory may be made to the ALS Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia or the Canadian Diabetes Association. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville.
www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.