Obituary of Bill Carpenter

It is with deep sorrow and broken hearts that we announce the passing of William (Bill) Carpenter, loving and dedicated father to Ashley Carpenter, William (Will) Carpenter and fatherin-law to Aimee Puffer. Bill passed away peacefully at St. Peter’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario on March 27, 2024 and has been taken from us far too soon.

A hero can be defined as, “an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” A hero is exactly what Bill was. Despite battling Leukemia for the last decade and Melanoma for the past one and a half years, Bill never quit and his will to live overcame any obstacle he faced. He fought cancer with dignity, courage, strength, bravery, and kindness and even when the ugly disease tried to bring him down, it never once did. He pushed himself to the extreme and showed what it meant to truly be resilient while also being an amazing and compassionate human being. He could’ve chosen to be angry and upset but instead insisted on spending his time being positive and making the world a better place, always joking with everyone around him and making sure that Will and Ashley were okay and taken care of. All Bill ever wanted to do was see Will and Ashley grow up and succeed and the love and bond he shared with both of them motivated him to keep going. Bill absolutely won his battle with cancer and went out on his own terms.

Bill was so much more than his cancer diagnosis and despite battling the disease for over ten years, lived his life to the fullest and never let it get in the way of what he wanted to do. He was strong-willed, at times stubborn, and driven to make a better life for his kids than what he had growing up. He liked to refer to himself as the lone wolf because he wanted to take on all the challenges himself to never put a burden his children. These qualities have absolutely been passed down to Will and Ashley and the legacy he leaves behind is a large one.

Will and Bill had a special connection that no one but the two of them could ever understand. They often bickered like an old married couple yet loved deeper than any dad and son ever could. Will and Bill were a part of each other’s everyday lives, working with one another during the day and catching a Jays game or a UFC fight together at night while sharing a Dominos pizza. The two shared a love for baseball, both watching and playing, and the sport took them across Canada and the USA on many trips for tournaments. The memories the two made together through the sport are irreplaceable and ones that Will will always cherish. Bill was a mentor, coach, and cheering fan every single time Will hit the field showing just how much he loved being with his son. Will acted as his main caregiver for many years, something Bill will forever be grateful for.

While Will and Bill shared a love for baseball, Ashley and Bill shared a love for music. Bill never missed a single one of Ashley’s performances and saved every single one of her tickets and concert programmes. Bill was Ashley’s biggest advocate, always encouraging her to pursue opera singing, telling her to never make excuses, believe in herself, and work harder than those around her. Not only did he act as an adoring fan but was always waiting with flowers for her after the show as a loving father, and ready to send out audition materials the next day for her as her agent. Bill loved any and all genres of music, his favourite being Euro dance music, and his favourite thing to do was to put in his headphones and walk for hours. He could belt out Avril Lavigne better than Avril herself and was never ashamed to admit that he had the same music tastes as a teenage girl. Ashley took part in many of his long walks and together they enjoyed talking about everything and anything; there was never a topic that was off limits. The two created such a strong bond with one another and neither one ever missed their daily phone calls. Recently, Bill took an interest in social media and enjoyed making TikToks with Ashley raising awareness for cancer and bringing joy to those going through similar struggles. Ashley is beyond heartbroken and devastated and doesn’t know how she is going to continue on without him and fill such a large void. He will forever be her ‘dude,’ ‘diva,’ and will remain embarrassed by every time he referred to himself as ‘Dr Love.’

While Bill was a loving father, he also acted as his kid’s best friends. Bill never failed to make them smile and laugh and was an absolute jokester to everyone around him. Bill loved life, wanted nothing more than to live it, and was so charismatic that he could talk to anyone and always did. He made friends with every single person he met. Bill absolutely loved all things movie and TV related and could recall a celebrities entire dating history, which he loved to flaunt by the way. He knew the most random facts and dates and dominated trivia. He always liked to be in the know and nothing beat a good movie with a bowl of chips and a coke (which he recently switched to Pepsi Zero Max to cut out his sugar.) Bill loved pretending like he was a fashionista, even though he bought out the entire Under Armour store and refused to wear any other brand claiming that he was “styling and profiling.” He also loved pretending like he was a master chef even though the only appliance he ever used was an AirFryer. He had it down to a science and could tell the four minutes were up on his fries before the timer even went off. Most importantly, Bill loved Will and Ashley. He fought so hard for them and there is nothing he loved more than just talking and hanging out with them. They have always been all he’s had and there is no unconditional love like that.

Will and Ashley want to send their sincere thanks to all of the wonderful and dedicated nurses, doctors, and staff at the Juravinski Cancer Centre, Juravinski Hospital, and St. Peter’s Hospital. They saved Bill’s life many times and in addition to the exceptional healthcare, lent Bill a listening ear, friendship, and took care of him with the upmost patience and kindness.

Fly high Dad and rest in peace, free from all pain. We just know that you are happy and healthy, and are singing and walking to the beat of your own drum while smiling down on us. Please watch out for us and protect us like you always did. We will always fight the good fight like you did and will always keep the faith. We love you more than anything, don’t you ever forget that.

Bill’s extraordinary and unique life will be celebrated at the Donald V. Brown Funeral Home, 36 Lake Avenue Drive, Stoney Creek on Monday April 1, 2024 from 2-4 p.m. There will be a Celebration of Bill’s life at 3:30 p.m., where family and friends are encouraged to share their favourite memories and thoughts about him.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Juravinski Cancer Centre.