Col (ret’d) William (Bill) Edward Grant, CD

November 27, 1934 – November 11, 2020

After a life well lived, Bill passed away peacefully at home by his wife’s side on Remembrance Day – fitting timing for a veteran who proudly devoted 41 years of service to his country.

Bill was born in Vancouver and graduated from UBC with a degree in history. He had over 37 years of commissioned service in the Canadian Armed Forces in tactical command control, communications, and intelligence. Eighteen of these years were out-of-country: residing in six countries and representing or officially visiting an additional 20 countries on behalf of Canada. His career was highlighted by several notable assignments including serving as second-in-command, 56 Canadian Signal Squadron, United Nations Emergency Force, Egypt, as well as a series of increasingly senior appointments: Commanding Officer, 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters & Signal Squadron, Soest and Lahr, Germany; chief, Policy and Requirements Branch, NATO HQ; Canadian Forces attaché, Prague, Czechoslovakia (pre-democracy period); and Canadian Forces attaché in Seoul, Korea. During his five years in Seoul he also served as chief, Canadian Liaison Group to the United Nations Command, and a member of the Military Armistice Commission, Panmunjom. His final posting found him back in Ottawa as director, Foreign Liaison for the Department of National Defence.

Bill then spent five years as the director, Canadian Business Development for TRW Canada. In his retirement years, he viewed every day as an adventure; he again travelled the world.

He was a soldier, a scholar, a true gentleman, kind, and generous. An honourable man indeed.