Obituary of Bill Reader

William (Bill) Reader, age 85, passed away suddenly at home in Selma, on May 28, 2025. Bill was born on May 22, 1940, in Five Mile River, Nova Scotia to the late John William and Emma Elizabeth (Allison) Reader. Bill was the last living member of his immediate family and was predeceased by siblings: Eva May, Freda Jane, Albert Charles and half siblings: Doris, Ida, Lillian, Myrtle, Harold, Douglas, Gladys Eudora and Etta. Bill will be missed by his best friend and common-law wife Elizabeth (Liz) Hill; Step children Harold (Wanda), Charles, Jennifer (Ryan), Step grandchildren Russell, Austin, Julia, Ella, step great grandchild Carson and many nieces and nephews and extended family. Bill worked for many years for Capitol Stores and then Real Atlantic Superstore as produce manager retiring in 2000. Bill was a quiet, kind and gentle person who loved nature, music and working with his hands and had a quiet sense of humor. He enjoyed working with wood and could make most anything, He was known for making wood trucks and cars in great detail, with working parts and some to scale. He often had many of his trucks on display around his house from small pickup trucks to large b-train trucks and forest machinery with working parts. Bill’s love for wood working even crossed over to his passion for music and stringed instruments as he made several musical instruments including a lap steel guitar, double neck guitar and a dulcimer just to name a few. Bill loved playing country and bluegrass music and could play most anything with strings. Throughout the years Bill played the electric bass guitar with two different bands: Countrified and City Lights playing at dances, music jams and anywhere else music was being played. It was easy to see that one of Bill’s favorite instruments to play was his stand-up bass, while watching him play at many different bluegrass jams. In lieu of flowers, Donations can be made to the Lower Selma, Noel Shore Cemetery c/o John McLellan. 6275 Hwy 215, Noel Shore, NS, B0N 1T0. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 3rd from 6-8pm in the J. Wilson Allen funeral home, Kennetcook. A graveside service will take place at the Lower Selma Cemetery on Wednesday, June 4th at 2pm, Rev. Mike Poworoznyk officating. There will be a reception with refreshments at the Maitland fire hall following the service. We invite any and all with musical talents to bring along their instrument of choice for some sharing of your talents. We can see no better send off for Bill than some old-time country and bluegrass music as those who knew and loved him gather and visit. Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of the J. Wilson Allen Funeral Home, Hwy 354 Kennetcook, N.S. Ph 1-902-362-2440 or visit our website at allenfh.ca to sign the guest book or leave a private condolence.