‘It’s terrifying’: Community searching for missing senior in Surrey

Missing senior William Haworth is seen in this photo provided by the Surrey Police Service. (SPS)

UPDATE: On Sept. 9, 2025, the Surrey Police Service announced that William Haworth had been found deceased. “The cause of death is not considered suspicious,” the statement from police said. “Surrey Police Service offers its condolences to Mr. Haworth’s family and friends. No further information will be provided.”

A beloved member of Surrey’s Fraser Heights community is missing, and dozens of people have joined in the effort to find him.

William Haworth was last seen around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the 15200 block of Glenwood Crescent, according to a news release from the Surrey Police Service.

The 76-year-old has not been heard from since, police said.

Kristina Morrison, Haworth’s daughter, told CTV News her father typically goes for a walk or jog every morning, and sometimes goes out in the afternoon as well.

A former high school teacher and multi-sport coach, Haworth has remained active in retirement, but is very much a “homebody,” Morrison said. He doesn’t leave the house without telling someone where he’s going, but that’s what he did Wednesday.

Initially, family members expected him to come home quickly. The plan was to attend the PNE Fair that night, according to Morrison.

When he didn’t make his way home on his own, family members began driving around the neighbourhood looking for him.

“They couldn’t find him anywhere,” Morrison said.

She said the last few days have been “a nightmare.”

“It’s so terrifying. It’s terrifying,” she said.

The family reported Haworth’s disappearance to police and continued their search efforts, and they were soon joined by groups of volunteers – friends and former students of Haworth.

Dozens of comments on the SPS Facebook post about his disappearance show just how popular Haworth is within the community.

Morrison has been overwhelmed by the support the search effort has received.

“I’d like to thank everybody so much,” she said.

Morrison described her father as “just a great guy,” an easy-going man who was never angry, even as his dementia advanced in recent years.

Police describe Haworth as a white man who stands 5′10″ and weighs 200 pounds. He is bald, and was last seen wearing a white baseball cap, blue shirt, black shorts and white sneakers, police said.

Morrison said police and volunteers have so far found no sign of her father. She asked people living in Fraser Heights and nearby Guildford to check their yards, sheds and outbuildings for signs of the missing man.

“He may appear confused or disoriented,” the SPS release reads. “If a member of the public locates William Haworth, police encourage them to stay with him until police arrive.”

Anyone with information about Haworth’s whereabouts should call the SPS at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 25-49157 (SU).