William "Bill" Constable

Born on May 20, 1924

In Creston, British Columbia

Passed Away on September 14th, 2025

In Creston, British Columbia

At 101 Years of Age

Funeral Service

Friday, September 26 at 1:00 pm

Link for the live service

William (Bill) Constable was born in the family home on the farm at Alice Siding on May 20, 1924. His was the first birth registered in the newly incorporated village of Creston. Dr. Henderson and midwife Mrs. Mead attended his birth. Mrs. Mead, along with her husband, managed the Munroe Hotel which is now the Kokanee Inn.

Growing up, Bill had many favorite activities. These included swimming in the swimming hole which used to be on the lower Wynndel Road. A favorite run for sleigh riding was the Southern Trans Provincial Highway, which is now Crusher Road. A daring ride, it started at the top of the hill, zoomed passed the old Alice Siding school and went almost halfway along the road. Considering the corners, thank God the sleighs could be steered and there weren’t many vehicles -- or horses for that matter. Bill also enjoyed sleighing down a hill at the farm with a bone tied to a string on the back of the sleigh. Many hours were spent with Bill sleighing down the hill and the dog following in hot pursuit.

Going into town in the winter required a horse and cutter outfitted with bells. You had to watch out for the clods of snow which would fly off the horse’s hooves. Hauling hay up to the homestead from the haystack on the flats in winter was done by horse and sleigh with a hot potato in your pocket to keep your hands warm and then was eaten along the way.

Another fond memory, although only done on one occasion, was to get up in the wee hours of the morning (at about 3 am) and, accompanied by his dog, a 22 rifle, and sandwiches, he hiked up Arrow Mountain to the Alice Mine site and watched and listened to the valley slowly coming to life.

In the summertime, Bill would make his bed up in the screened-in veranda at the house. At the end of the strawberry picking season in late June, Bill loved to fall asleep listening to the Ya’quan Nuiky drumming for their pow wow to celebrate the end of the season. The nights were so still, he could hear it clearly although it was 5 miles away. Once only, he decided to 2

sleep out on the veranda in the wintertime, under a bear rug and with a dog on each side for warmth.

There were many dances held at the Constable farm because the barn had a dance floor. The piano, which Kate Constable would play along with Mrs. Lister, would be put on a wagon deck and hauled up though a trap door and onto the dance floor. The admission was 10 cents which was saved up and turned over to the community.

Another dance floor was built on rubber tires down where the Canyon dam is presently located. This was taken down when the tires were needed for the war effort. Other dances were held in Lakeview where sometimes only a harmonica was the music. It didn’t matter; a good time was had by all. A bed was made in the corner by the stove so the babies who had been brought along could have a nice warm sleep.

Attending the Alice Siding school was an adventure in itself. When you got to be in Grade 5 you could be the janitor for $5.00 a month. You would subcontract the boards and brushes to another student for 25 cents a month. When the spring melt came it fouled the water in the well, so it was necessary to cross the road, go up the hill, and into an abandoned mine tunnel where water collected. Here the bucket was filled, carried back to the school and all students drank from the same bucket. And during any baseball game, Harold Floer could always be counted on to hit a home run and send the ball clear over the road. As it was the only ball, it had to be found, amongst the rocks, so the game could resume.

During the winter, after school, Bill enjoyed skiing down a hill at the farm on homemade skis. Not to be deterred in the summertime, he and lifelong friend Dick Staples made the first pair of water skis on the south end of Kootenay Lake figuring out how to bend the wood and building a jig and steaming the boards. The Staples’ high-speed boat did the pulling and the boards worked well. Good thing because they weren’t wearing life jackets.

Bill went on many duck hunting shoots with friends, and it helped feed the family during the bleak years of the Depression. 3

Bill attended the Alice Siding school for grades 1 through 7 and the Creston Valley High School for grades 8 through 12. He was a member of the students’ council every year and was the vice president during Grade 11 and President for Grade 12. He was also involved with the cadets and was the Lt Colonel during his Grade 12 year.

Bill joined the RCAF in January of 1943. He and the vice principal of the school, Mr. Marchbank, travelled to Nelson and wrote their respective exams; Bill for entry into the RCAF and Mr. Marchbank as an instructor. Bill was taken on strength after his graduation from school, in July 1943. He trained as a pilot and as a navigator and served almost 3 years until the war’s end. His rank at discharge was that of a Flying Officer.

Post war Bill worked 12 years with the Creston Builders Supply and acted as a manager for the last 5 years. He married Nancy Lemeshuk, a beautiful schoolteacher, at the United Church in Natal BC on Aug 6, 1949. They were married for 67 years and were always the very best of partners and friends to each other. Who knew delivering coal to the new teachers in town would lead to that.

At 33 he began university in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria when their first child, Greg, was aged 2. He completed 2 years in residence and completed the final 2 years by summer school. It was a total of 6 years of consecutive study. He taught 4 years in the classroom and 22 years as the resource centre coordinator serving all elementary schools (13 in all) from Yahk to Argenta at the north end of Kootenay Lake. Bill was fortunate to work in a friendly environment with co-workers who became close friends. There was much laughter and fond memories. Bill and Nan retired together in 1986.

Throughout his life, Bill was an active and supportive member of the community. This translated into numerous affiliations. He was an active member of Christ Church Anglican attending for 60 years, spent many terms on church council, rectors’ warden, chair, treasurer, and auditor. He was also a communion assistant and previous licensed lay minister. Bill was a charter member of the Jaycees and joined the Kiwanis Club. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion (40 years), the Masonic Lodge (21 years), Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club, and 4

the Creston Valley Golf course where he spent several years on the executive and was president in 1983. He was a member of the Creston Valley Recreation board (treasurer for 2 years) and proposed that a full-size facility, rather than a smaller one, be started by the funds available and then completed by the community. Bill was a member of the Creston Valley Teacher’s Association where he held every executive position but one and spent 1 year as president. Upon retirement he joined the Creston Valley Retired Teachers’ Association where he spent 13 years as treasurer. Bill was also asked to be the chairman for the reunion in 1989 of all who attended Creston Valley High School from 1938-1951. This was quite an undertaking; approximately 800 attended.

Bill enjoyed a variety of interests throughout his life, the chief among them being family. He was well regarded for his knowledge of the history of the valley and would happily share his knowledge and any opportunity to learn more. Many happy hours were spent woodworking, golfing, and learning the history of the railways. He and his sons would venture out on camping trips exploring old rail lines, where a derailment or accident had taken place, engineering feats, or anything else of interest which may have happened. He was known to bring some ‘treasures’ home, such as rail spikes (and let’s not forget that very heavy dome from a logging locomotive which hasn’t moved since), as a remembrance of the excursions. The family joke was always thank God he never found any other pieces of old locomotive along the way… Whatever free time he had left was spent gardening, repairing whatever was broken (always a challenge), and reading nonfiction with a particular interest in history.

His later years were spent in the house that he and his father-in-law built, on property he and Nan chose before they were married and was cared for by his daughter and son(-in-law). He was grateful for those who were a part of his life and with whom there were so many fond memories. Finally, he thanked God for these blessings and for allowing him to live so many years. 5

Bill was predeceased by his wife Nan, parents Guy and Kate Constable and brothers Everard (Jesse), Arthur (Pam) and Geoffrey (Barbara). He is survived by his children Greg (Carolyn), Guy, Andrea (Pat), and grandchildren Matthew (Peri), Maria (Zach), and Kate (Dustin), William, Christine, and great-granddaughter Lillian.

Creston Valley Community Complex

312 19th Avenue North

“Creston Room”

For those wishing to do so, in lieu of flowers

Please make a donation to

Creston Valley Hospital “Equipment Fund”

312 15 Ave N, Bag 3000

Creston, BC

Link to Service

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