William Thomas Mann of Hanover, Ontario passed away with his family by his side at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kitchener on March 1, 2025 after a brief illness. 

Bill was born in Toronto on July 14, 1947 to the late Edgar and Margaret “Peggy” (nee Rimmer) Mann.  He attended the University of Toronto Faculty of Pharmacy where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree.  In 1971 he moved to Hanover and purchased the local I.D.A. pharmacy from Homer Geddes which he later renamed as Mann’s I.D.A. Pharmacy.  He operated this pharmacy for nearly thirty years until 2000 when he sold the business and entered semi-retirement.  Bill devoted a lot of his time outside of the store to the practice of pharmacy serving as president of both the Ontario Pharmacists Association and the Ontario College of Pharmacists. 

In 1965 Bill met the love of his life Barbara (nee Field) while they were both working summer jobs for the Department of Highways in Toronto.  They married in 1969 and spent their lives together in the small town they loved raising three children while running the pharmacy and later enjoying retirement by traveling, spending time with friends and wintering in Florida.  Many of those friends have been lifelong friends, starting families together in Hanover in the early 1970s and putting in the effort it takes to maintain those relationships over so many years.

Bill had many passions in life outside of the pharmacy.  First and foremost was his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the summer and the Chicago Blackhawks during the winter.  Many baseball trips were taken over the years to see the Dodgers play and this is one of the fondest memories of time spent with his children.  He also loved to golf including annual outings with the “guys” to Boyne, Michigan and his thrice weekly golf outings locally.  Many will remember Bill driving the streets of Hanover, as well as the rest of Ontario, in his red Corvette which was one of his favourite pastimes. Bill loved dogs and they loved him in equal measure.

Bill was a voracious reader who loved being surrounded by books.  He was also very crafty with projects around the house which came in handy when more bookshelves were required.  He challenged himself daily with the hardest Sudoku puzzles he could find and mixed in some more relaxing outdoor work maintaining the yard and pool.  Even with the responsibility and time commitment of being the sole pharmacist in the family business, he always made the effort to travel to his children’s sporting events, recitals and graduations when it mattered most.  Bill was also an athlete in his own right as a basketball player in high school, a social curler, an avid golfer and a proud member of the Hanover Legion Oldtimer's hockey team.  Each of his children inherited the best of one or more of these skills, hobbies, interests and abilities and have incorporated them into their own lives.

Bill is survived by his wife Barbara, children Jennifer (Justin) Meyer of Anthem, Arizona, sons Jonathan of Guelph and Kyler of Hanover as well as the apple of his eye his granddaughter Reese of Orange, California.  Also survived by his brothers James of Minden, Edgar (Lottie) of Leamington, sister Carla (John) of Toronto and sister-in-law Ginny Field.  Predeceased by his parents, sister-in-law Pam and beloved dog Jade.

The family would like to thank Dr. Nick Abell for caring for the family and Bill over the past many years, as well as going above and beyond the call of duty during Bill’s hospitalization.

Per Bill’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held at the Best Western Hotel & Conference Centre in Walkerton on Saturday, April 12, 2025 from 1-3 pm with Words of Remembrance beginning at 1:15pm. Live streaming of the Words of Remembrance will be directly on the Mighton Funeral Home obituary page, and through the Mighton Funeral Home YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@MightonFuneralHomeLtd The live stream will start approximately 5-10 minutes prior to the service - at that time, please look for the live video post on the obituary page on our website or the Funeral Home YouTube Channel to join the service.  For people unable to join at the time of the service, the live stream video will remain posted and available for viewing afterwards. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Hanover Public Library or the Hanover and District Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.  Arrangements entrusted to Mighton Funeral Home. Messages of condolences are welcomed at www.mightonfuneralhome.ca