Frederick William Gosney

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Frederick William “Bill” Gosney, on January 7, 2025, at the age of 78. 

Bill was born to Jack and Doris on July 15, 1947, in Cadomin, Alberta, and was raised in the coal branch during its final years of prosperity. After the mines closed, Bill’s father Jack took a job for the Alberta Forest Service at the remote Sheep Creek Ranger Station near Crowsnest Pass. Bill was homeschooled from the ranger station during the roughly five years there, before Jack transferred up to the Hinton Forestry School. Throughout Bill’s childhood there were always horses, hunting, fishing and navigating the woods and the mountains. This way of life instilled in him a great passion for the outdoors and keen instincts in the wild, and enabled him to pursue this passion as a very successful hunting outfitter for over twenty years.

Bill was very entrepreneurial, working for himself nearly all of his life. In addition to his outfitting business, his endeavors included a gravel truck, then eventually a logging business with four skidders and a feller buncher. Bill worked many other interesting jobs along the way, herding sheep as a teenager during the summers, hand-falling trees for the Mica Dam project, working air freight up north on Baffin and Ellesmere Islands, supplying camps and work horses for the McCarib Pass trail construction for Parks Canada and working as a foreman in the oil field.

He was extremely generous to his neighbours and friends, often lending his tools, equipment and helping hand without a second thought. He enjoyed socializing, he frequently visited and hosted friends for a chat over drinks. He will be remembered for his politically incorrect humour, his ability to improvise a solution to any problem encountered on the trail, as well as the ease in his demeanour when handling the most untamed of horses.

Bill  was predeceased by his wife Louanne, his little sister Mary-Ellen, his first-born son Richard, his second son Clayton and his youngest daughter Ellen. He is survived by his sister Jacqueline, his remaining children, Carrie, Dawn, Glen and Ian, grandchildren Keane, Ashleigh, Sylvain, John, Matthew, Ryan, Rachel, Sebastian, Josie, Jethro, and Aven, as well as great-grandchildren Genisis, Meika, Vayda and Eva.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Hinton Continuing Care Centre for their attentive and compassionate care of Bill. We also thank the Edson Funeral Home for their kindness and professionalism.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Hinton Legion on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 1pm. The family welcomes all who knew Bill to attend.
In leu of flowers, please make a donation in Bill’s name to the Hinton SPCA.

This summer, to honour Bill’s wishes, his ashes will be carried to their final resting place in his favorite mountain valley.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Frederick William Gosney, please visit our floral store.