March 31st, 1922 - August 13th, 2021

On Friday, August 13, William A. Woodcock passed away at age 99.

William Woodcock “Bill” was born on March 31, 1922, in Toronto Ontario, the oldest child of William Arthur and Vesta Beryl (Wyatt) Woodcock.

Bill grew up in Toronto attending Upper Canada College until his graduation in 1940.

Canada was at war and so Bill enrolled in the naval officer training program at Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, BC before enlisting in the Canadian Navy in 1942.

He served as a Lieutenant and navigator on the HMCS Trillium, a corvette class ship escorting convoys across the Atlantic Ocean until the end of World War II.

Upon returning from the war, Bill studied at the University of Toronto, graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

In 1949, Bill accepted a job with the General Motors Experimental Department in Oshawa, and was later promoted to Chief of Engineering, Canada.

It was in Oshawa that he met Phyllis Aileen Lamon “Babs” at her family’s cottage at Corbett’s Point, Lake Ontario. It was love at first sight and Bill proposed six weeks later. Bill and Babs were married May 23, 1950, in St. Georges Church, Oshawa.

They settled down in Oshawa to raise a family and had three sons, Doug (Charlotte), Pat (Trish), and Will (Brenda) and one daughter, Beth (John). In 1971 Bill was promoted to Chief of Engineering, Overseas and the family re-located to Tokyo, Japan.

Bill and Babs’ overseas adventures took them to Wiesbaden, Germany in 1975 and Rochester, Michigan in 1980 before retiring and moving back to Whitby in 1983.

Bill was a loyal and dedicated engineer and executive who spent his entire career at General Motors. Bill’s passions were skiing and spending time at the cottage on Chandos Lake with Babs and their growing family.

Chandos is the family gathering place and the source of Bill & Babs’ happiest moments and fondest memories. He took great delight in his family and crafted a paddle for each grandchild with their name and a special design on it.

During the Oshawa years, Bill was active in the community and served as the chair of the Oshawa Planning commission for four years before going overseas.

Bill was a compassionate and kind man who was known for his quick wit, love of puzzles and his quiet devotion to Babs and family. He was an engineer to the core who loved to tinker, build, and design. His zest for life and taste for adventure took them all over the world but the heart strings always tugged Bill and Babs back to their home in Canada.

Bill was preceded in death by two sisters and his loving wife Babs, who passed on March 27, 2019. He is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Bill will be missed and remembered with love.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 3:00pm at the ARMSTRONG FUNERAL HOME, 124 King St. E in Oshawa. Due to COVID19 restrictions, registration is required to attend the service.

If you wish to register, please visit armstrongfh.ca or call 905-433-4711.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.