ever recall partisan political discussions being raised at home. In fact,

his first exposure to partisan politics came shortly after he returned

to Charlottetown from law school when he was invited to attend a Progressive Conservative fundraising dinner. Shortly afterwards, he was invited to join the Liberal party by Joe Ghiz, who worked in the same law

firm as Shawn and who would later go on to become premier of Prince Edward Island.

As a measure of their lack of partisanship in early life, neither Kathleen or Bill ever told each other how they voted.

During Bill’s second term on council, he announced he would not be seeking re—election. He was becoming actively involved with a number of seafood processors, helping them update their personnel policies.

He also filled his days working as an innkeeper at the Kirkwood Hotel, owned by his sons Shawn, Kevin and Danny. His cheery disposition, willingness to assist guests with anything from giving them lifts downtown to accompanying them on a search of a family burial plot earned him the fond and affectionate name of Mr. Bill. Kevin recalls that he learned some important lessons in customer service, observing Bill with his easy—going manner, treating everyone with respect.

With the family grown, Kathleen and Bill looked forward to spending more time together. They went to lunches, took drives in the countryside and maintained close ties with family and friends. With their family grown, they also had more time to take up new pursuits. At the age of 50, they began cross country skiing.

One late summer afternoon in August of 1994, Kathleen packed some lobster sandwiches and they headed out to a beach in Stanhope for a picnic. After eating their sandwiches, they decided to drive to Cavendish to watch the sunset. They picked up some ice cream, and while Bill sat on an overturned boat, Kathleen walked up the beach and back, enjoying the cool evening breezes. On the way back to Charlottetown, they dropped by Emerald to visit Bill’s sisters, Betty and Pauline. It was an idyllic day, filled with happiness and a portent of better days ahead as they eased into retirement.

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