Obituary for Dr. William Franklin Shipley
Dr. William (Bill) Franklin Shipley passed away on December 28, 2020 in Mississauga, Ontario at the age of 70. He is survived by his wife, Mary-Anne (née Finlay), son Kevin and daughter-in-law Nicole, daughter Karen and son-in-law Justin, and grandsons Eamon and Heath. He is predeceased by his father Clarence W. (Clare) Shipley and mother Jean (née Rickard) Shipley. He was born December 21, 1950 in Sarnia, Ontario, only child to Clare and Jean Shipley.
Bill grew up in Sarnia completing high school while working for his father at the Shipley family pharmacy. He then moved to Toronto where he completed his degree in family medicine at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine medical school and met and married Mary-Anne.
Belleville, Ontario was originally just a pit stop on Bill and Mary-Anne's honeymoon travels, but during their brief visit they recognized the area's potential for professional and family life, and returned to put down roots. Bill opened his family medical practice soon after arriving in town. He was fully dedicated to his practice and provided his best medical care to his patients in the Belleville and the surrounding communities for over 40 years (having cared for 4 or 5 generations of some local families, and still making house calls), before his own health concerns led to the closure of the practice in 2018. Bill's commitment and dedication to the medical profession, along with his willingness to challenge the status quo and his belief in a better, patient-focused medical profession made him stand out and gain the admiration of his colleagues, both locally and across the country. His decades of professional service were officially recognized when Bill was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the Ontario Medical Association in 2016 and bestowed with an Honorary lifetime membership by the Canadian Medical Association in 2017.
Outside the office Bill was an active member of Eastminster United Church and enjoyed classical music, historical narratives, Shakespeare, books, and political dialogue. He had firm opinions and enjoyed intelligent debate. He enjoyed sharing his learning and interests with others by telling stories (some longer than others…) and sharing the often-untaught pieces of history or of another interest. Bill had a warm smile and gentle laugh that though not often shared was delightful. He shared with his children a respect and enjoyment for the outdoors. He enjoyed comedies, witty remarks, gentle teasing and puns (lots of puns). He will be missed by his family and colleagues.
Due to current circumstances, there is no scheduled memorial service at this time. In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations to Eastminster United Church, United Church Gifts with Vision or the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Bill grew up in Sarnia completing high school while working for his father at the Shipley family pharmacy. He then moved to Toronto where he completed his degree in family medicine at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine medical school and met and married Mary-Anne.
Belleville, Ontario was originally just a pit stop on Bill and Mary-Anne's honeymoon travels, but during their brief visit they recognized the area's potential for professional and family life, and returned to put down roots. Bill opened his family medical practice soon after arriving in town. He was fully dedicated to his practice and provided his best medical care to his patients in the Belleville and the surrounding communities for over 40 years (having cared for 4 or 5 generations of some local families, and still making house calls), before his own health concerns led to the closure of the practice in 2018. Bill's commitment and dedication to the medical profession, along with his willingness to challenge the status quo and his belief in a better, patient-focused medical profession made him stand out and gain the admiration of his colleagues, both locally and across the country. His decades of professional service were officially recognized when Bill was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the Ontario Medical Association in 2016 and bestowed with an Honorary lifetime membership by the Canadian Medical Association in 2017.
Outside the office Bill was an active member of Eastminster United Church and enjoyed classical music, historical narratives, Shakespeare, books, and political dialogue. He had firm opinions and enjoyed intelligent debate. He enjoyed sharing his learning and interests with others by telling stories (some longer than others…) and sharing the often-untaught pieces of history or of another interest. Bill had a warm smile and gentle laugh that though not often shared was delightful. He shared with his children a respect and enjoyment for the outdoors. He enjoyed comedies, witty remarks, gentle teasing and puns (lots of puns). He will be missed by his family and colleagues.
Due to current circumstances, there is no scheduled memorial service at this time. In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations to Eastminster United Church, United Church Gifts with Vision or the Nature Conservancy of Canada.