Remembering Bill Terry

We are sad to share the news that author, photographer, gardener and community volunteer, Bill Terry, has died.

Bill had a long career with the CBC and, in his retirement, was a devoted friend and supporter of a number of local organizations including the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden Society, Sunshine Coast ElderCollege and the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. Former Festival Board President Wendy Hunt recalls that “prior to his arrival, we had a somewhat laissez-faire approach to the job of stage management. Bill put his CBC skills to work and the result was a well-oiled team with individual stage managers taking responsibility for each event.” Bill taught us so much about professional presentation and production values and we will always be grateful for his mentorship.

Bill was the author of Blue Heaven; Beyond Beauty: Hunting the Wild Blue Poppy; and The Carefree Gardener. He wrote Beauty by Design with his wife, Rosemary Bates.

Sunshine Coast writer Theresa Kishkan called Beyond Beauty “a passionate love poem … illustrated throughout with Bill’s own photographs, each of them ravishing.”

Our condolences to Rosemary, their family and many friends across the country.

Photo: Rosemary Bates and Bill Terry at the 2013 Festival

Credit: Cathie Roy