Tribute To Bill Greer

July 12, 1932 to June 1, 2003

William Warner Greer was born in Hillier Township in Prince Edward County to Lindley and Amy (Rixen) Greer.

He was educated at CML Snider School in Wellington and attended Ryerson Institute of Technology in Toronto, where he took tool and die making.

Bill loved sports and participated eagerly in hunting, hockey and baseball and it was at a baseball game that he spotted his future wife Marguerite Dyer who was playing shortstop.

They married in 1956 and produced 4 wonderful children, Bob, Janine, John and Paul. They have all married now and produced 8 great grandchildren.

Bill worked on the family farm and managed the Greer Canning Co. Ltd. along with his brother Mac, after his father’s death. They later closed the factory and he bought out his brother’s interest and continued to operate the farm until 1995.

He was elected to the Council of the Village of Wellington in 1962 and with the exception of 2 terms, served for 30 years, 13 of which he served as Reeve. In 1982 he was appointed Warden of Prince Edward County, the highest office in Municipal politics.

He served on many committees including the Cemetery Board, the Arena Board, the Loyalist Parkway, District Health Council, Hydro Commission, the Hospital Foundation Board and many others.

He was instrumental in the development of the water and sewage systems in Wellington, the Wellington Harbour, Seniors Housing and several subdivision agreements and was an elder in the Wellington United Church.

In 1994 he started the hobby of growing giant pumpkins and in 1996 weighed in the first pumpkin in the world over 1000 lbs. His record only stood for 2 hours, as his 1006-pound fruit was beat by a 1061-pound pumpkin weighed in at a weigh-off in New York State.

As a result of his success, the Prince Edward County Pumpkinfest was started in 1997 and has continued as a local event and tourist attraction. He was president of the Prince Edward County Pumpkin Growers from their inception in 1999 until his death.

Last year, 2002, in spite of ill health Bill continued to grow giant pumpkins and produced a pumpkin that weighed 1172 pounds. It was the biggest pumpkin ever grown in Ontario and ranked 5th in the world that year and 10th in the history of growing Giant Pumpkins.

Bill was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gerhig’s Disease) early in 2003 and deteriorated very quickly. Pumpkin growers all over the world will miss him.