Obituary of Bill Haggerty
HAGGERTY: William Edward (Bill) Haggerty passed away at the Brandon Regional Health Centre on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at the age of 91. Bill will be lovingly remembered by his children Terry and Holly Haggerty, Tanis and Ron Hargreaves, Patty and Brad Lawson, Loree and Rodney Gardham; grandchildren: Craig and Jen Hargreaves, Chad and Angela Hargreaves, Alicia and Jason Holden, Britt and Jason Corbett, Glynis and Connor Thomson, Kirsten and Chris Knoop, Grant and Andrea Haggerty, Curtis Williamson and Jess Shirley, Rebecca Gardham, Hailey Gardham and Marty Dalzell; great-grandchildren: Ryden Hargreaves, Caleb Thomson, Tucker Knoop, Ty Hargreaves, Cooper Hargreaves, Owen Haggerty, Astor Corbett, Lane Holden, Casey Haggerty, Finley Knoop and Beau Corbett; brother Eldred and Shirley Haggerty; sister Phylis and August Friesen; sister-in-law Fern Rae, sister-in-law Marlene Butterfield; brother-in-law Bill Tjaden; longtime companion Sandra Grove and children David Grove, Shelly Grove, Tracy and Roy Mann. Sandra’s grandchildren Jacob and Kirsty Mann, Whitney and Dana Roberts, Jacy Mann and Raymond Curran, Brennan and Tara Mann and Kennedy; Sandra’s great-grandchildren Kadence, Jaelyn and Nate Mann, Evan and Max Roberts, Howie and Emerson Mann. There are people of all ages in different communities that referred to him as “Grandpa Bill” and he will be greatly missed by many.
Bill was predeceased by his wife Mazie Haggerty, and his parents Herbert and Violet Haggerty.
Bill was born on January 10, 1932. He was raised in and spent much of his life in Kemnay. In 1991, he moved to Elgin and resided with Sandra Grove until 2021 when he moved to Riverheights Terrace in Brandon.
In 1950, Bill started working for the Manitoba Telephone System where he worked for 38 years and told us many times he loved his job.
After he retired he carried on as an active member of the Telephone Pioneers and kept busy driving grain or chicken truck, supplying the family with wooden tables, sets of kids building blocks, wooden toys, fire pots, bicycles etc.
Bill was an active community supporter in many ways including delivering meals on wheels for years, giving blood on a regular basis, flooding and maintaining skating and curling rinks in Kemnay, flipping burgers at Brandon Hills broomball tournaments, on hand to help with Farm Boys Motocross Race, helping with Museum, recycle program, Church cleaning and singing in choir in Elgin to name just a few.
Bill enjoyed his time with the Brandon Snow Goers, playing the fiddle with the “Dial Tones” and had many stories of great times for both.
Baseball was one of Bill's greatest passions in life. As a kid he played hardball and after retiring took up slowpitch with the Brandon Petro Can and then the Manitoba Coyotes up until he was 77 years of age. He spent many hours watching his children and grandchildren playing.
Bill really loved simple things like camping, a fire for cooking corn, fixing bicycles, a trip to the garbage dump, spending the day in his shop making new things or fixing up old things, picking and peeling apple day or just a picnic lunch.
He was a man of few words who could convey great pride, joy and love of life with the sparkle in his eye and his toothy grin.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at Brockie Donovan Chapel, 332 8th Street, Brandon, MB on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.
Flowers are gratefully declined, donations in memory of Bill may be made to the Kemnay Recreation Centre, Box 61, Site 30, Brandon, MB, R7A 5Y2.
