William "Bill" Francis Spearn

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Superintendent William (Bill) Francis Spearn (beloved husband, father, son, and brother).  Bill passed away peacefully at Langley Hospice on March 20, 2022.  Bill is survived by his wife Vanessa, daughters Hailey and Julia, father William Senior, sister Deborah (husband Jim), and many other extended family members and friends. Bill is predeceased by his mom, Ruth.

Bill was born in Edmonton to parents Bill and Ruth. He grew up and attended high school in Terrace, B.C. After graduating he attended the University of Victoria where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. He worked in B.C. Provincial Corrections before he was hired by the VPD in 1996.

Vanessa and Bill were married in 1996 in Victoria, before moving to Langley were together for the past 31 years raised a family and created lasting memories. Bill enjoyed spending time with family and together annual trips were made to the Abbotsford Air Show, Manning Park, and Whistler. Bill’s hobbies included fishing, barbequing, and cheering for the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Blue Jays. Bill treasured going on walks with Vanessa and the family dog Penny in Fort Langley every weekend.

Bill had a very successful 25-year career with the Vancouver Police Department. In January 2020, Bill was promoted to Superintendent. In the last four years of his career his work travels took him to Poland, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Washington, D.C, Chicago, and all over Canada.

In 2019, Superintendent Spearn was the recipient of the H.B Spear Award, an international award given to those involved in law enforcement who have demonstrated a balanced regard for the needs of enforcement and human compassion. Bill was seconded to CFSEU-BC, in 2020, as the Deputy Operations Support Officer.

Bill was considered an ally in the fight for drug policy reform in Canada and was respected by his peers for his commitment to try to find solutions to end the opioid crisis and save lives.

Mike Howell, a Vancouver reporter recently published an article that paid tribute to Bill’s career; https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/vancouver-cop-was-an-ally-in-fight-for-drug-policy-reform-in-canada.

Bill fought a courageous battle against brain cancer. He will be missed greatly by all that knew him. Bill’s family is honoured by the outpouring of condolences from around the world.

 The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr David Chapman, and the wonderful staff at the BC Cancer Agency (Abbotsford), and the Langley Hospice Residence who gave Bill the absolute best in care. Their dedication and compassion will always be remembered.

 In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Langley Hospice Society at https://langleyhospice.ca/donate/ or BC Cancer Foundation at https://bccancerfoundation.com/ways-to-give/give-in-memory-honour-or-celebration/.