It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Williamina (Billie) Norman Bone on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with her family by her side.
Billie was born on June 18, 1940, in Newmains, Lanarkshire, Scotland, to Helen and Samuel Kelso. She met her future husband, Norman, in 1964 as they began their careers in healthcare—she as a midwife and he as a doctor—at Newcastle General Hospital. Their paths first crossed in sickbay, where they shared an illicit glass of sherry while recovering from minor mishaps. They were married in 1965 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Newcastle, and shortly afterward, they worked side by side in Zambia, where their shared sense of adventure was sparked by their time in Kalulushi, visits to Victoria Falls, and safaris and road trips through Rhodesia and South Africa.
After returning to work in England in 1969, they then chose to settle in Canada in 1972 with the first three of five children in tow. After a brief attempt at settling in Thompson, Manitoba, they chose the comparatively tropical climate of Thunder Bay.
In her younger years, Billie was an avid badminton and tennis player. She gave back to the community through her involvement with Cambrian Players in the 1970s; sharing her Scottish heritage by opening “Scottish Deli-ghts,” a deli on Park Avenue that operated in the late 1980s; and through her decades of work with Norman at St Joseph's Heritage.
Norman and the children will forever cherish memories of camper trips to both coasts of North America, adventures in the then-undeveloped Yucatán, family visits to the U.K., and, above all, summers at the Bone family camp on Hawkeye Lake.
She will be deeply missed by her husband of nearly 60 years, Dr. John Norman Bone, her children Kirsten (Mike) Sacino, Katrina Bone, Alistair (Denise) Bone, and Iain (Lisa) Kelso; her grandchildren Matthew, Sarah, Samantha, Davis, Elliot, Morwyn, Seija, and Carson; her dear friend Elsie; and extended family in the United Kingdom. Billie was preceded in death by her beloved daughter Helen; sisters Nancy, Elanor, and Jean; and her parents, Helen and Samuel.
The family would like to say a heartfelt thank you for the care and compassion of Rev. Hugh Walker, North West LHIN, Dr. Migay, Dr. Bassuony, and the nursing staff of the Hospice and Palliative Care Unit at St. Joseph's Hospital. A private interment will be held for family and close friends at a later date. As expressions of sympathy, memorials to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.sargentandson.com.
