A 58-year-old Calgary man, with strong ties to the local theatre community, died Wednesday afternoon after being pulled from the water while snorkeling in Hawaii.
According to police, William (Bill) Torrie was snorkeling in Honolua Bay in West Maui at approximately 2:00 p.m. when witnessed noticed him struggling in the water. Torrie was unresponsive when Good Samaritans reached him, pulled him to shore and attempted CPR.
Torrie was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bill Torrie was a well-known director in Calgary’s theatre scene, recently directing The Liffey Players’ production of The Weir at The Pumphouse Theatres in the spring.
Louis B. Hobson. a longtime friend and colleague of Torrie's, says the loss will leave a significant void.
“There’s going to be an enormous hole in community theatre,” said Hobson. “You don’t replace someone of that standing and that calibre quickly.”
“He can direct, he can design, he does the lights, he does the sound. You name it, Bill could do it.”
Hobson said Torrie and Torrie's partner Tanya were in Hawaii for a well-deserved reprieve from their hectic schedules. “They needed a vacation because they were doing so much this past year.”
Torrie was a long serving champion for community theatre who made an appearance at nearly all productions. "He was at practically every play. He might not have been there opening night, but he managed to see every production. He was that interested in community theatre."
An autopsy into the Calgarian’s death was scheduled to be conducted in Hawaii and, as of Sunday morning, the cause of his death has not been released.
