Bill joined the Canadian Army’s Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in April of 1963. He served in a wide variety of command and staff positions in Canada, the United States and overseas. In 1994 Bill organized and conducted a visit to a war zone in the former Yugoslavia for a group of artists from the Calgary area. His Regiment sponsored this event and it resulted in the production of a number of art pieces for the Regimental and National War Museum collections.

After retiring from the Regular Force in 1994 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he undertook the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, initially at the University of Alberta and then at the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD). He graduated with distinction in 2000 with a major in painting.

He currently teaches painting and drawing courses for the Calgary Board of Education and maintains a studio painting practice.