William McRAE

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McRAE: Much too soon, our son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend was taken from us. William "Bill" Michael McRae was born in Brandon on March 18, 1987. He died suddenly in a car accident June 22, 2011. He leaves behind, in addition to his many friends, his parents Larry and Teresa McRae, his brother Brian McRae, and the love of his life, Arleigh Maddison. He also leaves to mourn his aunts, uncles and cousins. A born farmer, Bill started at an early age helping his dad, and was always busy doing some activity. Baseball, curling, badminton, snowmobiling, swimming and waterskiing soon became regular activities for him and his drive pushed him to excel. He also joined 4-H at a young age, adding to his diverse abilities. He attended Meadows Elementary School and Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, where he began some of his lifelong friendships. Throughout his life, Bill's relationships with friends were one of his main priorities, and you could usually find him spending his spare time sharing a laugh or challenging somebody to a friendly competition. His infectious smile and ability to have a good time in any situation made it so easy to be with him, and both his mom and girlfriend say it was impossible to stay mad at him. Bill was never afraid to speak his mind, although many of his friends say he spoke it in his own language, making up new words and nicknames for everyone daily. Equally important to spending time with friends was spending time with his family. Not many 24 year old men want to go on family vacations anymore, but Bill was always eager to spend time going out camping and going to the cabin in Flin Flon. It didn't matter if you were 5 or 95, Bill was happy to sit down and talk to you. Every year Bill looked forward to the New Year's celebrations at Victoria Inn, which was always a family tradition. At 18, Bill headed off to Winnipeg to attend University of Manitoba, where he earned his B.Sc.. in Agribusiness. While in university, he met his long term girlfriend, Arleigh, and quickly cemented himself as a fixture in her life as well as her family's. Throughout university Bill continued to participate in all the activities he loved, all the while maintaining his connection to home, but beginning to build his own independence. Following his university graduation, all his hard work paid off and Bill was hired by Sunrise Credit Union as the Ag Loans Officer. A perfect fit for Bill as farming was his first passion. He put so much effort into it, much like everything else in his life - nothing was done half way. Bill was always someone who did everything with conviction and integrity, and was a perfect example of what a gentleman is. He was a truly genuine and caring person, who would always lend a hand whenever needed, and strived to make the people around him happy. He will be truly missed. He was predeceased by his grandparents Margaret and Gordon McRae of Brandon, and William and Margaret Folwark of Flin Flon. Prayers were said at Memories Chapel on Sunday June 26th, 2011. Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Monday June 27th, 2011 at the Central United Church in Brandon with The Rev. Fr. Michael Tkachuk, Celebrant. The Cantor was Stella Fedeniuk. A private family service of interment was held at Rosewood Memorial Gardens. If friends so desire donations in memory of Bill may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, Manitoba Division, 193 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 2B7 or to a charity of choice.Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com. Arrangements were with Memories Chapel & Pre-Planning Centre, 727-0330.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jul 02, 2011