William Lawrence

Formerly of Ormstown, Quebec, Cardinal, Ontario and Russell, Ontario, Bill passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on October 20, 2023, at the Osgoode Care Centre in Metcalfe, Ontario.   Best friend, business partner and husband to Sheila Lawrence (nee Holmes, predeceased in 2019).   Loving father to Joanne of Seeley's Bay, Barbara (Elaine McCrea) of Victoria, Valerie (John Houle) of Russell and special niece Patricia O'Brien of Calgary.  Proud grandfather of Murray Lyons (Stacy Cook), Notewell Lyons and of Madison Houle, Arianna Houle and Evan Houle.
Predeceased by his parents Irving and Alida (nee Thompson), by sisters Patricia and Mary and by brothers Robert, John and Malcolm. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Hard work, honesty, and humility.  These are the tenets by which Bill lived his life, raised his family, and ran his hardware stores.  He enjoyed being self-employed as he grew two separate hardware businesses over a period of 25 years. He always gave credit to his wife, Sheila, for raising their family but his guiding principles have influenced those who loved him as well. Bill contributed to the local communities in which he lived by joining the volunteer firefighters, the Lions Club, the school board, and the business association.

He will be remembered for his sense of humour, his mischievous pranks, and his love of puns. The family would like to say a special thanks to Bill's caregivers for the past few years:  neighbours Tina and Gary Carr and nurse Lisa in Cardinal; Odette, Jessie, Paige, Hazel, Emilie and Audree in Russell, along with Dr. Wallace Archibald; Jayne, Kayla, and Devin and the rest of the staff at Osgoode who assisted so compassionately with Bill's care in his final days.

Funeral Arrangements

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Bill's life at the Marsden McLaughlin Funeral Home, 2065 Dundas Street, Cardinal, Ontario on Saturday, November 4th from 1 pm to 2 pm, followed by refreshments at     St. John's United Church, 2120 Dundas Street, Cardinal.  The family will gather for a private inurnment at St John's United Riverside Cemetery on Highway #2, east of Cardinal, and will return to the church to share more memories.  If desired, memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Society or to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  If you are making your donation online or by cheque directly to the charity, please include the following note with your gift: "please notify the family". Online condolences may be made at www.marsdenmclaughlin.com.