William (Billy) Verle Greiff

Bill was born in Tisdale, Saskatchewan on January 21, 1952. He passed away suddenly at the Foothills Medical Centre on November 2, 2022 from heart complications.

Bill’s family moved from Tisdale to Calgary in 1956. In 1957 the family settled in the town of Forest Lawn (now part of Calgary). He attended numerous schools in the district, completing his education at Forest Lawn High School.

Bill worked various jobs until the excitement of the open road led him to a career in truck driving. He began hauling grain for Hayes Trucking to Shelby, Montana, and drove tractor trailer units from Calgary to Vancouver. Bill worked on two separate occasions for Johnnie’s Excavating, first as a low-boy driver and ended his career driving dump truck. He loved that every day was a new and different journey.

In retirement Bill took up cycling, a new endeavour he was truly enjoying. Bill kept busy with weekly darts, that he had been participating in for many years. He accumulated a vast life-long group of friends and colleagues that brought him much happiness. Bill also had a great love for all kinds of music, loved dogs, and rodeos.

But most of all Bill loved and lived for his family. His pride and joy of family were shared with anyone who would listen, from the family dinners, gatherings and events with the younger ones, he was always excited to join in.

Bill is lovingly remembered by his sister Janice (Harvey) Wirth and their children – Deanna (Jouni) Saarenoja, Kiira and Joosef, Cory Wirth and his sons Brodey, Carson and Carter, Kyle (Tonya) Wirth and twins Jack and Liam; his sister Bobbie Engel; younger brother Gregory (Brenda) Greiff and their children – Donald (Karen) Thompson-Greiff and son Xander and Amie (T.J.) Jensen and daughters Mikayla and Jocelyn; special aunt Beryl (William) Harold of Surrey, British Columbia; and many cousins and great friends. Bill was truly a free-spirit, a social butterfly, and lived life to the fullest. He will leave a void in the hearts of many.

Bill was predeceased by his parents, William and Margaret (Lundquist) Greiff and an infant daughter, Melanie Ann Jones-Greiff.

The family wishes to extend a special thanks to Dr. Dhangi for his care and kindness over the years, and to the paramedics and doctors at the Foothills Medical Centre, who fought for him to the very end.

A celebration of Bill’s life will take place in the spring of 2023.

If one so desires, donations may be made in Bill’s memory to the Veterans Food Bank.