William “Bill” James SHALER
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of William James Shaler, who passed away on January 11, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, at the age of 78.
Bill was born on January 31, 1947, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was a kind, hardworking, wise, devoted, and generous man who deeply valued his family and friends.
Bill will be remembered for his commanding presence—and his great sense of humor about it. His personalized license plate, “MZRRBIL,” became a family joke and a perfect reflection of his confident, strong personality. He was also known for his wisdom, generosity, love of travel and sports, his willingness to help others, and the meaningful relationships he built throughout his life.
Bill is lovingly remembered by his son Brad (Jocelyn; Ethan, Ava, and Kieran) and his daughter Donna (Trevor; Ashton and Tanner), his sisters Sherry and Carol, and many friends whose lives he touched.
He was predeceased by his mother Mollie Shaler (1990), his brother Darold Shaler (2011), and his beloved wife Diana Shaler (2016).
A celebration of life will be held on January 31, what would have been his 79th birthday, at the Laurier Heights Community Hall, 14405-85 Avenue NW at 1:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation and Second Chance Animal Rescue.
Our dear Bill we will never forget your absolutely kindness, you was our friend and family and to me just a father, always thinking about us and helping in everything you could, am always grateful for meeting you, thank you for everything, there’s no words to describe how grateful we are for having you ir our lives it was a gift, you deserve more than heaven with our unforgettable Diana, rest in peace dear Bill!
To the Shaler family, I wish you offer you my most heartfelt condolences on the passing of Bill Shaler. He was a good Friend to my sister and myself.
We met him about a year after the passing of His wife in Playa Pesquero. Many cribbage games and a few drinks were shared. He was very kind and kind.
He will be missed
Happy birthday Bill.
While trying to call Bill for his birthday and finding only a ‘no longer in service’ message, my sister Madeleine and I looked up Google and found this sad news. We met Bill in Playa Pesquero, Cuba. He was with his family the first time and we met again 4 or 5 times in P.P. after that. We called each other at Christmas, on birthdays and a few other occasions. We had great ‘friendly arguments’ about Québec vs Alberta I would like to express my sincere condolences to Bill’s family and friends for your loss. Anne Barbeau, Sainte-Thérèse, QC.
Our deepest condolences to you and your family. Bill certainly was a commanding presence, and FUNNY, which is what must have drew us to him. My parents, Sandy and Nancy Rogoza became very close friends with him over the past 15+ years, traveling together every year since then… especially those CFCW trips… and many more! One would just call the other and say lets go, and off they went! LOL Even Andre and I joined them many times. We sincerely miss him.
Gone too soon
Andre and Sandra Stor