William Windsor Lank
October 20, 1936 – January 15, 2018
Born on October 20, 1936, William Windsor (Billy) Lank was the 6th of 7 children of Willard Lank and the second child of Millicent (Minnie) Dunsford, Willard’s second wife. Billy passed away peacefully on January 15th, 2018 at the Hillsborough Hospital. He was 81 years old. Billy lived briefly in Charlottetown before his family moved first to Central Royalty and, after World War 2 to West Royalty where his father, Willard, purchased the former Upton Airport property, now the Charlottetown Industrial Park. The property was farmed over several years by Billy and his siblings while his father worked as a salesman selling Marvin’s Biscuits. After working briefly for John England in construction, Billy returned home to farm. In 1966 he married Miriam Hyde of Meadowbank, and they had three children: Edward (Michelle Woodall, Cambridge, ON), Wilma (Edward Weibe, Steinbach, MB), and Wendy (Keith Reismiller, Bainbridge, PA). In 1974, Billy sold the farm in West Royalty to the province for the creation of an industrial park and purchased a farm in Ebenezer on the Glasgow Road. Over the years, the farm, a farrow-to-finish pork and cow-calf beef operation, grew to over 500 acres. Billy’s beef operation of approximately 150 head of Red Poll cattle was one of the largest herds of Red Poll cattle, a dual-purpose breed of cattle, in Eastern Canada, and, at the height of output, he shipped over 1000 hogs per year. In 1997, Billy retired from farming, selling the farm in Ebenezer to his nephew, David. As a young man, Billy enjoyed playing hockey and riding his motorcycle. Throughout his life, he remained an avid skater. He skated with his family on Sunday afternoons at the North River Rink, in the evenings with his wife, Miriam, at the Simmons Arena adult skate, and in retirement at the morning skates at the Charlottetown Civic Centre. Motorcycles also remained a passion for him; upon his retirement, Billy purchased a Honda Aspencade motorcycle which he enjoyed fully, touring either alone or with Miriam around PEI and to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. As a livestock farmer, Billy rarely had the opportunity to travel until he retired. Having never been on an airplane, Billy and Miriam took a lengthy, post-retirement return trip across Canada by train, spending time in Kingston, Ontario (visiting their son at university), and spending some time in British Columbia “yurting” at Douglas Lake Ranch. In 2005, Billy took his first journey by plane, traveling to Manitoba to visit his daughter Wilma and her family, to California to visit his son Edward and his wife, and to Pennsylvania to visit his daughter Wendy – a single cross continent journey. Over the next decade he traveled often to visit his children, and, subsequently, his grandchildren: Cody, Cailey, Riley, and Quentin Weibe, Olivia and Charlotte Lank, and Keith Reismiller Junior. In the last two years of his life, Billy suffered from dementia, a condition that was exacerbated by earlier trauma in life, including trauma from a motorcycle accident in 2001 and from an accident felling a tree in 2009. Despite struggling with confusion and frustration, all of his caregivers – first in the QEH and subsequently in Unit 5 at Hillsborough Hospital – noted Billy’s sense of humour and engaging nature. Hillsborough’s Unit 5 staff provided wonderful care during Billy’s struggles with dementia over the year they cared for Billy; Miriam visited Billy daily during his time at Hillsborough and every day, Billy was up, dressed, and sitting with other patients. When Billy passed away, the nursing supervisor stayed with Billy until Miriam arrived. Both in life and in death, the staff of Unit 5 at Hillsborough never left him to sit alone in his room. In every situation, and in every way, they ensured the dignity of Billy and of all of their residents. Billy’s life was defined by farming, by his family, and by his faith. Billy grew up as a member of Trinity United Church in Charlottetown and raised his family as members of that church. The church remained an extended family for Billy and his wife Miriam throughout their lives. It was a fitting end to a life of faith that Billy’s funeral was held in Trinity on January 19th, 2018. He was laid to rest in Stanhope Cemetery near numerous members of his family – including his parents, his half-brother Keith, and his half-sister Hilda. Billy is survived by his wife, Miriam, his children, brothers Charlie and Gordon and half-sister Shirley, and his 7 grandchildren.
Card of Thanks
We wish to extend heartfelt thanks to all our family and to our friends and neighbours for your support and kindness. To all who visited Billy during his illness and to all who attended the wake and funeral, sent cards, messages, flowers, brought food to our home and made donations in Billy’s memory, many thanks. Thanks to the many doctors, nurses and all staff at both QEH and Hillsborough Hospital for your wonderful kindness and care. We are grateful to Allison and Gail Swan of the MacLean Funeral Home; the Clergy, Rev Greg Davies and Rev Heather MacDougall; the Organist, Donald Fraser; the Soloist, Suzanne Campbell; Trinity United Church Choir; Pallbearers and Flower bearers; and to the Trinity UCW for organizing the reception following the Funeral.
Miriam, Edward, Wilma, Wendy and families