Obituary of Bill Rayner

RAYNER - William John peacefully at the St Thomas-Elgin General Hospital, our Dad, William (Bill) John Rayner of St. Thomas passed away on Friday, December 15, 2023 in his 88th year.  Survived by his beloved daughters Rachel (Rayner) Gorman (Jeremy), Alison (Rayner) Apfelbeck (Aaron), and their mother, Mary Ann (Cahill) Rayner, all of St. Thomas.  Proud Papa of his pals, grandsons Curtis and Riley Apfelbeck and his beautiful granddaughter, Emily (Emi) Sarah Ann Apfelbeck.  Predeceased by his darling daughter Sarah Margaret Ann Rayner (1978), his cherished mother Doris (Coulter) Rayner (1989) and his revered grandfather, William R. Coulter.  William was born June 25, 1936. He is also survived by a number of cousins.  A graduate of the St. Thomas Collegiate Institute and Ryerson University, William was a retired free-lance title-searcher, having served a number of local Law Firms at the Elgin County Registry Office for many years.  He had several hobbies he was most passionate about. A keen collector of Canadian baseball history and memorabilia, he was regarded as an informed historian of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, featured in the movie A League of Their Own.  He nominated and later inducted the 64 Canadian-born women into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Marys, Ontario in June of 1998.  William researched and documented the life of local baseball great, Jack Graney, and in July of 2022 his book THREE and TWO JACK was published by the Aylmer Express and launched on Jack Graney Day on Wednesday, July 27th of the same year.  William was a contributor of twenty-two nesting bird photographs and wrote several articles for the local book BIRDS OF ELGIN COUNTY, A Century of Change (Aylmer Express, 2004).  A number of his nesting bird photographs were also published in the ATLAS OF THE BREEDING BIRDS OF ONTARIO, Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs de l'Ontario (2001-2005) and several other birding publications.  William documented the first nesting record of the White-eyed Vireo (Vireo grieus) in Canada near Rondeau Park in 1972 and the first confirmed nesting record for a pair of Ospreys (Pandion hallaetus) in Elgin County in April of 2014.  He was one of the charter members of the Hawk Cliff Raptor Bander Association and gave many talks and demonstrations on the importance of Hawk Cliff.  In 1974 he became a founding member of the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA).  William was a Past President of both the St. Thomas Field Naturalist Club and the St. Thomas Photographic Guild.  He was also a long-time member of the Canadian Photographic Association of Canada, the Photographic Society of America, the Ontario Field Ornithologists and the Federation of Ontario Naturalists.  He was an ardent student for many years of eschatology, especially end-time Bible prophecy, and developed a passionate love of southern gospel music such as the Gaithers.  George Frederic Handel's Messiah was a particular favourite Oratorio of which he organized several sold out concerts in St. Thomas.  William was a lifetime member of the Church of Christ (Disciples), a member of CUFI (Christians United For Israel) and a proud Bible Strong Partner of Dr. David Jeremiah’s ministry, Turning Point.  Visitation will take place at the Shawn Jackson Funeral Home, 31 Elgin Street, St. Thomas (519-631-0570) on Sunday, December 17, 2023 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. and Monday, December 18, 2023 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  A Home going Celebration of William’s life will be held in the funeral chapel on Tuesday. December 19, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Janet Anstead of Mapleton Church of Christ presiding.  A private family service of interment in the St. Thomas Cemetery will occur at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, remembrances to Covenant House and the St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital Foundation will be gratefully appreciated and accepted. Personal online condolences can be made at www.sjfh.ca

The family would like to thank friend and PSW Susan, the staff at Seasons Retirement Community, Care Partners and Closing the Gap. The caring staff at STEGH 5th floor and CCC and nurse practitioner Mona for their compassion during his final days. Drs Sudicky and Razvi, along with countless others for their care of our dad.