‘A kind man with a generous heart’: Calgary theatre director who died in Hawaii remembered

Bill (William) Torrie was involved in the Calgary arts scene for decades. He was a director at many community theatres including Front Row Centre and Liffey Players and a former president of Storybook Theatre.

Torrie died Wednesday afternoon while snorkeling in Hawaii with family and friends.

READ MORE: Alberta man dies while snorkeling in Hawaii

Tributes were pouring in on social media on Sunday as word of his death spread.

“He was a kind and loving man with a generous heart. He always thought of others before himself. He was very supportive of the members in the community theatre,” said long time friend Patrice Barnes from her home in Calgary.

“He loved to go to theatre even if he hadn’t directed the show and spot up-and-coming talent and encourage them to keep going,” Barnes said.

Torrie came to Barnes for music lessons so he could help with directing musicals.

“He said ‘would you teach me singing?’ He had some health issues and at that time he was quite deaf. I wasn’t sure, but challenges are great. He came for his first lesson and I had him put his hands on the piano to feel the vibrations and the most beautiful baritone voice emerged,” Barnes said.

Barnes remembers Torrie as a very dedicated student who was always wanting to learn more to apply to his directing abilities.

Barnes said Torrie was a survivor of Thalidomide and faced many challenges throughout his life but that never stopped him from reaching his goals.

“It was not an issue in his life. He was a very good carpenter. He built me a new deck and renovated my studio and renovated his own house. He built set designs for the theatre and painted. His disabilities never got in the way. In fact, in spite of them he soared as a person,” Barnes said.

One of Torrie’s most recent projects was directing The Liffey Players’ production of The Weir at The Pumphouse Theatres in the spring.

“He was always striving to improve the fields of art and I think probably his strength of character has put many actors on stage today that are successful because of him,” Barnes said.

Friends are hoping to have a memorial in the coming weeks. A cause of death has not been released.