Major-General Bill Hewson passed away peacefully on February 3rd 2021, a day after his eighty fourth birthday. His wife Norah was at his side.
Bill and Norah met at a party in Toronto in 1959, where he was a recent graduate from the Royal Military College gaining a civil engineering degree from the U of T. Norah was a student nurse at Sick Kids Hospital. They said goodnight, but Bill was smitten, and he called Norah the next day to ask her to dinner. Despite postings and deployments across Canada and to Germany, England, Cyprus, Australia and Belgium, he never really left her side again. He married Norah in 1961, and they made homes together around the world. After raising their sons Douglas and Richard, they retired to their property on Calabogie Lake, in the Ottawa Valley.
Bill lived his life with honour, courage and loyalty. His military service began with command of a rifle platoon in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility with the Patricias and in the Intelligence Branch. He served as Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion PPCLI; Commander of the Canadian Contingent to the UN Force in Cyprus; Chief of Intelligence at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, and as Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence at SHAPE, the NATO Headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Appointments as the Colonel of the Regiment, PPCLI; Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Branch, and as a Commander of the Order of Military Merit reflected his dedication to his Regiment, his Branch, and his Army.
Bill was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1985, and retired from the Canadian Forces in 1991. He served as Director General of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) until 2000.
He was a leader to all, and a mentor to many.
As a husband, father and grandfather, he showed us how to live a life with love, humour and integrity, and without fear or regret. At a ski hill or a hockey rink, at a board room table or a carpenter’s work bench, and in all our many different homes around the world, he was the steady presence that inspired us with confidence that no matter what happened, he’d always be there.
Bill is survived by Norah, the other half of the Dynamic Duo. He is survived as well by Douglas (Marisia), of Kanata, Ontario and by Richard (Stephanie) of Vernon, BC and their sons Mitchell and Spencer.
The family is grateful for the care Bill received from his physiotherapist Mr. Ben Wassell, Dr. Kristian Davis, Dr. Tilak Mendis, and the staff at the Queensway Carleton Hospital, including Dr. Sanjay Acharya.
A private service will be held at Beechwood Cemetery in the near future. All of Bill’s family, friends and colleagues will be welcomed at a Memorial Service, to be scheduled and announced as soon as better times return. In the meantime, please consider a donation to Parkinson Canada.
Digital Guestbook
Michel Maisonneuve
Jim Godefroy
I am so sorry to hear of Bill's passing; it was a privilege to have known him. He lived a full and meaningful life of service, and inspired and did so much for so many - may he rest in peace. My deepest condolences to Norah and the Hewson family; you are in our thoughts.
Mathieu Boutin
Dear Norah and Family,
Please accept my condolences. General Hewson was a great mentor and overall a great man. He made us grow and progress, and he was, above all, so invested in our function, and focused on our people’s well-being and development. We will remember him. Je me souviens.
BGen (ret'd) Rob Williams
Dear Norah and family,
My heartfelt condolences to you and the entire Hewson family on the loss of your husband, father and grandfather who truly epitomizes what it means to be an officer and a gentleman. General Hewson was one of the kindest and wisest men that I have ever known, giving freely of his time to have a chat or lunch with those who sought his sage advice. The humblest of men, after I had thanked him for his wise counsel he would usually claim that he really hadn't said much of value. I know that the opposite was true! I will continue to think of General Hewson, as I always have, on the 2nd of February. Sincerely.
William Manuel
A Great leader and a greater man. My deepest condolences to the family. He will be missed.
Shawn Osborne, Captain RCN (ret)
As commandant of the Intelligence School and later as Intelligence Branch advisor I was privileged to meet and get to know Both MGen and Mrs Hewson a little. We shared a passion for small, foreign convertibles though our favourite brands differed. As a team they were always gracious and willing to support the many requests we made of them to attend events, graduations and conferences. MGen Hewson was a wonderful listener, sage with advice and an example for us all. I personally appreciated his sense of humour and ability to place developments in perspective. I offer my deepest condolences to Norah and the family.
Paul Hale
Nora, on behalf of the PPCLI Association, I wish to express our sincere condolences to you and your family. Bill set a very high bar for the Regiment. He was an outstanding person who treated everyone with dignity and respect. He will be missed.
Jay and Cheryl Lapeyre
Dear Noah and family,
We send our deepest condolences to you and your family. Bill was a role model and friend since we served together in Cyprus in 1968. He was the new breed of young Majors in the Regiment in those days and for more than fifty years he never forgot to ask how your family was surviving the many challenges of military service or give thanks for some Regiment duty performed. He taught through example respect and concern for our soldiers and the never to forget their families sacrifices. He was a officer of moral courage-he would tell young officers that after training if you had to go to your office, always read the text of your commissioning scroll it would make all your difficult decisions much easier. Many thanks for you support in his successes and in his service to Regiment and Canada.
Cdr Ted Parkinson
Dear Norah and the Hewson family.. It's very sad to hear of Bill's passing, and he lived a full life. A great soldier and leader who appreciated everyone's contributions in the service of Canada. Rest in peace, Sir.
Anthony Wyver
RIP with respect, Sir! My sincere condolences to the family, friends and peers. It was truly a pleasure and learning experience to have worked as a member of one of the many teams you have lead.
Very sad to hear of Bill's passing. Our Force Commander in Cyprus 1983. To Norah and family, our sincere condolences.