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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
LUMLEY, William Meredith (Bill) - “The time for dying has arrived for William M. Lumley. This has been one of the most enjoyable lives that anyone could have lived and I am sure my wife, Retta, helped in making it so.”
Bill, 98, died at Copper Terrace in Chatham, Ontario on Sunday, February 13, 2022. He was the loving husband for 72 years to the late Retta M. Lumley (née Renwick – d. 2019).
Raised in Tilbury, at 19 he volunteered to join the Canadian Navy and served as a radio Morse coder from March 15, 1943 to October 18, 1945, serving on HMCS NAPANEE – K118. The NAPANEE escorted convoys across the Atlantic. He volunteered for further duty in the Pacific after the German surrender, but the war ended.
He worked as a stock boy in his father’s grocery store that he would later run from 1947 to 1966. He then worked as an Assessor for Kent County and later the Province of Ontario from 1966 until retirement in 1989.
He was a Tilbury Town Councillor from 1959 to 1966. He was a Life member of Branch 206 of the Royal Canadian Legion, a member of the Naphtali Masonic Lodge AF & AM #413 since 1955, a member of the Lodge of Perfection, a member of the Rose Croix, a member of the Darrel S. Moffat Memorial United Church, a Rotarian for 15 years and the Tilbury Golf and Curling Club for many years.
Bill and Retta, enjoyed living in Tilbury. They travelled all of Canada and the US, as well as Europe and the Caribbean.
He was the proud father of three sons – William in Vancouver, B.C., Robert in Burlington, Ontario and Richard Lumley and his partner, Kim Patterson, in Tiny, Ontario. He has three grandchildren – Amber, David and Ashley and five great-grandchildren in British Columbia.
He is survived by sisters-in-law Alwilda Renwick of Quinn and Lila McFadden of Comber.
He was the son of the late William E. and Anna Lumley and son-in-law to the late Ernestand Iva Renwick.
Predeceased by his siblings, Francis Barr, Jim Lumley, John Lumley and Joan Lumley, and brothers-in-law Harold Renwick, Robert Renwick, Mark McFadden, Sandy (Harold) Barr, and sisters-in-law Wilda Renwick, Irene (Skip) Lumley and Audrey Lumley.
He will be missed by his many nieces, nephews and other extended groups of relatives.
A special thank you to the wonderful staff at Copper Terrace for your care and compassion.
Cremation has taken place. There will be no visitation.
In accordance with Bill and Retta’s wishes a private committal service will occur at St. George’s Cemetery at a later date.
Donations to the Tilbury-Comber Maple Leaf Cemetery, St. George’s Cemetery or Darrel S. Moffat United Church, or a charity of your choice. (Reaume Funeral Home Inc)
Ships served in: HMCS HUNTER - Enlisted in the RCNVR in 1942 HMCS ST HYACINTHE - Drafted to ST HYACINTHE in Aug 1943 for training as a Coder.
(WL01) Coder William (Bill) Lumley (WL02) Coder Bill Lumley (WL03) Bill and Retta Lumley by a White Ensign off of HMCS NAPANEE K118 (WL04) Bill Lumley, Legion photo
(WL06) Wesley Vincent, Yeoman of Signals, from Toronto, ON, on HMCS NAPANEE K118 (WL07) Sailors from HMCS NAPANEE K113 at Jack Dempsey's, New York, New York. L-R: Unknown civilian, Allen Dixson, Ralph Balum, American sailor, Bill Lumley (WL08) Souvenir from Jack Dempsey's (WL09) An HSD, a ship's cook and Bill Lumley (rear) on HMCS NAPANEE K118 (WL10) Message received by HMCS NAPANEE K118 when she was about 300 miles off St. John's, Newfoundland
(WL09) Communication Branch HMCS NAPANEE K118: Front row: L-R: William Lumley, Coder; Masion, Sig; Taylor, Lt, Signals Officer; Gillis, L., Tel; Hotte, Ronald, Sig 2nd Row: L-R: Martin, Bob, L/Tel; Potter, Jerry, Tel, RCN; Patterson, Tel; Davies, L/Sig; Evans, Coder; Rayment, Doug, Tel; Jordan, L/Coder 3rd Row: L-R: Caldwell, Sig; Connolly, Owen, Sig (WL10) HMCS NAPANEE K118 Communication Branch
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