On December 17, 2022, William ‘Warren’ McBurney passed away at University Gates Retirement Residence in Waterloo in his 87th year. He was a loving father to his three daughters, Margaret Thomas (Phil), Alison Dunn (Glen), and Jennifer Skinner (Don), and a devoted grandfather to Lynn, Neil (Alyssa), Graham (Emma), Leah (Tyler), Luke, Indigo, and Jasper, as well as great-grandfather to Fox, AJ, and Wray. He is rejoined with June, his wife of 63 years who passed away in May of this year, his parents William and Ruth, his brother Jim, and sister Liz and survived by his sister Marge.
Warren grew up in Walkerton, ON. He earned a BA from the University of Western Ontario and a BEd from the University of Toronto. He had a rewarding 35 year career as a high school English teacher in Collingwood then in Oakville at G.E. Perdue and White Oaks.
Warren was a loving father, grandpa, pup, and great-grandpa who was revered as a true gentleman by all he met. He had hobbies that included travelling, photography, woodworking, reading, gardening, and collecting both stamps and autographed books. A devoted member of Central Baptist Church, Oakville, he contributed to various boards, sang in the choir, and enjoyed greeting visitors.
In his long retirement, Warren remained active in his community as a volunteer ESL teacher, a member of the Retired Teachers' Goodwill Committee and a canvasser in his neighbourhood for health charities. Warren and his wife made visiting their children and grandchildren a priority. They spent peaceful summers at the family cottage on Bruce Beach, welcoming family and friends.
A service for Warren will be held on Tuesday, December 27 at 11:00 am at Central Baptist Church in Oakville, preceded by a visitation at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Canadian Bible Society, Central Baptist Church, or a charity of your choice. Warren will be remembered as a kind and gentle man, a true gentleman to all who knew him.