Obituary of William (Bill) Albert Andrews

ANDREWS, William (Bill) Albert B.A., B. Ed., M.Sc. William (Bill) Andrews, 86, died on Friday, March 17, 2017 with his family at his side at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto. He was born on July 8, 1930 in Clinton, Ontario. In 1954, he married Lois Wood and together they had three children, Greg, Brenda (Shane) and Nancy (Jonathan). Bill was Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Environmental Science at the Ontario Institutes for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Bill completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Western Ontario, and his B.Ed. studies at the University of Toronto. After teaching at Leaside High School and at the University of Toronto Schools, Bill joined the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto, where he spent 30 years teaching chemistry, environmental sciences and outdoor education. He was Chair of the Science Education Department for five years and the author of over 40 books, mostly science, environmental science and resource management textbooks. Bill received many honours and awards, including being named a Fellow of the Ontario Society for Environmental Education and an Emeritus Award from the Ontario Science Teacher’s Association of Ontario. Bill was passionate about the outdoors, and was involved in the naturalization of lawns and other open spaces, including his nature preserve near Belgrave, Ontario, where he planted forests and a garden. He gave many talks and conducted field trips for horticultural and garden clubs, photography clubs, woodlot owners and farmers. Bill also loved music and enjoyed singing, and playing piano, organ and trumpet. Bill will be greatly missed by his wife and children, his grandsons Dale and Ryan Climie, and his granddaughters Ally and Kara Thomas. He is survived by his sister Norma Draper (Bob 2008), brothers Doug (Marion), Don (Oz) (Alice 2014), Richard (Jan) and brothers-in-law Grover Clare (Rachel) and Ken Wood (Marilyn). He is predeceased by his sisters Mary (Bill) Murch, Ruth (Art) Griffiths, Gene (Grant) Rath, Joyce Clare and his brothers Homer (Bernie) and Charles. He is also loved and will be fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES – NEWBIGGING CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) from 2:00 – 4:00 and 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22nd. Funeral services will be held in CLINTON UNITED CHURCH, 105 Ontario Street, Clinton, Ontario on Saturday, March 25th at 11:00 a.m. Memorial donations may be made in Bill’s name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. Condolences, photographs and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymilesnewbigging.com.