Dr. William GROVES

GROVES, Dr. William Douglas PhD
December 5, 1937 - March 6, 2015
At the "ripe" old age of 77 Bill was advised that he would have to go to a nursing home. Although his brilliant mind was still preciously evident he lamented only being capable of watching tv reruns of Howdy Doody now due to advancing dementia. But he was not about to do this with a bunch of "old" people. True to his unique way of handling life he managed his departure by shutting down systems one by one following complications from hip surgery. Left stunned by his wilfully having accomplished this feat, his daughter Caitlin and her mom Lana Groves sat with him as he took his last breath mere days after discussions about his "re-homing". They stared at his stillness, 'no longer Billness,' in disbelief. The nurses had to confirm that he really had pulled it off. He was gone. In the words of his niece, it was "Bill's last great escape". There will never be another like him. He was hilarious and exasperating but so entertaining that he could insult you with such precision and wit that you just had to smile. He was a kind gentle soul who loved science, nature, people and gold. He worked for many years as a chemical and geological engineer and when he wasn't off in mining camps he was reading physics books and writing great fiction and poetry. He played guitar and had a great sonorous singing voice. Bill was predeceased by his parents Tom and Betty Groves and his son Andrew Moran. He is survived by his daughters Marianne (Jean), Susannah (Shawn) and Caitlin (Gord) and his brother David (Anne). He also leaves behind grandsons Andrew, Michael, Lucien and Gaston, and nieces and nephews Kathy, Janet, Chris and Kevin. Cremation will be taking place. There will be a private gathering with family.