The Actors’ Fund of Canada mourns the passing of actor William Needles, C.M., LL.D., its last surviving co-founder. Mr. Needles founded the Fund with Donald Davis, Barbara Hamilton, Jane Mallett and Barry Morse, who each put $1 into a pot to start up the benevolent organization which was incorporated on May 27, 1958. Mr. Needles died on January 12, 2016.
Commenting on Mr. Needles’ passing Actors’ Fund of Canada President Fiona Reid said, “As an actor Bill Needles had a long and distinguished career that, in and of itself, would be worthy of celebration. However it was his remarkable generosity and genuine concern for the well-being of his professional colleagues – not only those in his immediate surroundings, but also for others he did not know and would never meet – that marked him as an extraordinary man and a great humanitarian.
The organization that he helped to launch has given thousands of his colleagues in the entertainment industry new hope when they were at their most vulnerable point both personally and professionally. We are grateful for the legacy he has left us to carry into the future and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family.”
