WILLIAM DAVID MCCRACKEN

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WILLIAM DAVID MCCRACKEN

September 21, 1946 -

December 4, 2025

Born in Kingston, Ontario, Bill McCracken died peacefully at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario - with family members close by.

Pre-deceased by his parents, Donald and Ruth, he leaves behind his much beloved daughter Treena and grandson Max in Winnipeg. He is survived by his three siblings: Judy, Jon and Nancy, and their respective partners (Bert, Pam and Ken), plus a gang of McCracken cousins - Jock, Sandy, Donald, Scott, Jennifer, Rebecca, Andrew, Phillipe, and Matthew, as well as cousins from the Lawler side of the family - Dan, Lilia and Lisa. Bill will also be missed by various nieces and nephews, extended family members (including aunts Eileen and Louise), and particularly by his good friends Bill and Sylvia Barkman of Kingston.

A lover of the outdoors, Bill's early interest in ornithology led him to become an accomplished taxidermist and a gifted wildlife artist. He was part of the taxidermy team that created the famous buffalo-hunt diorama in the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature. Even in his early teen years, his detailed watercolours were astonishingly mature. In 1982, he was honored to be selected among a group of world-renowned artists in a special art auction that was held in Toronto in support of the World Wildlife Fund. The gala event was attended by various celebrities and dignitaries, including HRH Prince Philip. Bill held a lifelong interest in photography. His creative and technical side also led him to fabricate detailed, wooden scale replicas of the Titanic, the Avro Arrow, and the Lancaster bomber that his dad navigated during the Second World War.

Most of Bill's professional life was spent working as a skilled lithographer for the Jostens yearbook company based in Winnipeg. After retirement, he relocated to London, Ontario to be closer to his parents and siblings.

Cremation has taken place and no formal memorial service is planned. In honor of Bill, on-line memorial donations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (or your local food bank) would be appreciated.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 20, 2025