Obituary for Edward Ronald Thomas
Edward Ronald Thomas
“Ed” as he was known, was born on June 4th, 1935 and died at home Saturday, May 15, 2021 after a three week bout with cancer.
Ed was the second generation of his family born in the General Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. He was the only child of Thomas “Edward” Thomas and Nora “Eileen” (Askew) Thomas.
As a child and young man, he enjoyed going bird hunting with his Father and Grandfather Thomas. His grandfather raised a variety of dogs and Ed had a lifelong attachment to dogs, but especially had a love for Alaskan Malamutes.
He was only 12 years old when his father died, as he got older he wasn’t too enthused on school and only completed a grade eight education before joining the work force to support his mother. He later became interested in motorcycles.
He started hill climbing in 1952 on a Triumph 350cc. That was how he met Walt Healy, and ended up going to a New Year’s Eve party at Walt’s in 1958. He met Lorna Parsons there. Her date got drunk and so Ed ended up taking Lorna home. Lorna said it was always his curly blond hair, and blue eyes that attracted her to him, as they say the rest is history! They were married on September 4th, 1959.
He had various jobs including working at Calgary Brewery for seven years. He never did drink or smoke. He joined the Survival Training Course with the Militia in 1961 and was invited to be a sniper as he was a great marksman, but he wasn’t interested.
He started working for Calgary Transit in early 1963 as a cleaner on the bus lines. While working for Transit he had various jobs, and finally took an apprenticeship as an Autobody Technician. While going to SAIT he was exposed to some two part paint containing Isocyanates and was poisoned, damaging his lungs; a problem that stayed with him for the rest of his life. He was a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union 583 retiring in 1992. He celebrated his 50th year with Transit as a retiree in 2013.
Ed loved the outdoors and he and Lorna always went big game hunting, mountain climbing, camping out in the wilderness, boating and fishing. He enjoyed camping and taking the jet boat out to Kinbasket Lake in BC.
He took a welding course to help with the building of the camp stoves that he designed. Ed didn’t camp like most; he had a prospector’s tent and designed a camp stove to fit in the tent. He even had a water tank on the back to keep water hot. He also designed an oven that attached to the stove so Lorna could make baking powder biscuits for the kids.
His eyesight was terrific and if he said it was 100 yards away, it WAS actually 100 yards, he never exaggerated.
Ed and Lorna had 3 children, Charlotte, Ted and Karen. Ted and Karen were the third generation to be born in Calgary at the General Hospital.
Ed’s love of motorcycle racing was passed on to his son. Ed bought Ted his first motorcycle in 1977 and went on to ride motocross and ice racing. It became a family sport and they travelled as a family all over western Canada and the north western United States. After Ted finished racing, Ed took up archery and bow hunting. His love of archery led to his grandchildren competing in 3-D shoots. He encouraged and helped support his granddaughter Ashley to enter World Competitions where she became the first Canadian Compound shooter to win a gold medal in the World Outdoor Target Championships. Ed was very proud of Ashley’s accomplishments and enjoyed attending competitions and drove her all over Canada and the USA.
Family was very important to Ed, and he built a strong relationship with his cousins. Ed and Lorna passed on their sense of family and love to their children and their families. Ed was a proud husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was also a friend to many over the years, one of his dearest friend of late was “Canmore Jane”, who through the pandemic talked to Ed every day and pumped him for more of his life stories.
Ed was strong willed and definitely had a mind of his own, but under all that moutian man exterior he had a sense of humour and found a funny HaHa in many things; if you stubbed your toe, and you were complaining, he would say “I didn’t feel a thing”. He laughed and found humour in things right up until the night before he passed, and he left us with all these great memories.
As always there was a succession of dogs the current one being “Toby”, who laid by his bedside at the end.
He leaves to continue on his legacy the love of his life and wife of 61½ years, Lorna Thomas; his daughters, Charlotte (Blair) Meierhofer of Carseland, AB, and Karen (Dan) Wallace of Redcliff AB; his grandchildren, Shawn (Kaity) Meierhofer of Medicine Hat, AB, Alan (Chelsey) Meierhofer of Calgary, Ashley Wallace of Redcliff AB, Steven (Elle Bruce) Meierhofer of Calgary and James (Deborah Kidd) Wallace of Taber, AB; great-grandchildren, Troy, Wrightkin, Cade, Keira and Barrett. Ed was predeceased by his Father in 1947 and his Mother in 1969; his only son “Ted” in 2008; and a great grandson, Malin in 2018.
Due to the covid pandemic we are facing at this time, there will not be a funeral. Ed has already been cremated and will be buried in Queen’s Park Cemetery in the Thomas Family plot at a later date. His grandson, James built a small camp stove, using Ed’s design, his welders and metal from his yard to make an Urn for Ed’s cremated remains.
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Ed, please visit www.choicememorial.com.
“Ed” as he was known, was born on June 4th, 1935 and died at home Saturday, May 15, 2021 after a three week bout with cancer.
Ed was the second generation of his family born in the General Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. He was the only child of Thomas “Edward” Thomas and Nora “Eileen” (Askew) Thomas.
As a child and young man, he enjoyed going bird hunting with his Father and Grandfather Thomas. His grandfather raised a variety of dogs and Ed had a lifelong attachment to dogs, but especially had a love for Alaskan Malamutes.
He was only 12 years old when his father died, as he got older he wasn’t too enthused on school and only completed a grade eight education before joining the work force to support his mother. He later became interested in motorcycles.
He started hill climbing in 1952 on a Triumph 350cc. That was how he met Walt Healy, and ended up going to a New Year’s Eve party at Walt’s in 1958. He met Lorna Parsons there. Her date got drunk and so Ed ended up taking Lorna home. Lorna said it was always his curly blond hair, and blue eyes that attracted her to him, as they say the rest is history! They were married on September 4th, 1959.
He had various jobs including working at Calgary Brewery for seven years. He never did drink or smoke. He joined the Survival Training Course with the Militia in 1961 and was invited to be a sniper as he was a great marksman, but he wasn’t interested.
He started working for Calgary Transit in early 1963 as a cleaner on the bus lines. While working for Transit he had various jobs, and finally took an apprenticeship as an Autobody Technician. While going to SAIT he was exposed to some two part paint containing Isocyanates and was poisoned, damaging his lungs; a problem that stayed with him for the rest of his life. He was a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union 583 retiring in 1992. He celebrated his 50th year with Transit as a retiree in 2013.
Ed loved the outdoors and he and Lorna always went big game hunting, mountain climbing, camping out in the wilderness, boating and fishing. He enjoyed camping and taking the jet boat out to Kinbasket Lake in BC.
He took a welding course to help with the building of the camp stoves that he designed. Ed didn’t camp like most; he had a prospector’s tent and designed a camp stove to fit in the tent. He even had a water tank on the back to keep water hot. He also designed an oven that attached to the stove so Lorna could make baking powder biscuits for the kids.
His eyesight was terrific and if he said it was 100 yards away, it WAS actually 100 yards, he never exaggerated.
Ed and Lorna had 3 children, Charlotte, Ted and Karen. Ted and Karen were the third generation to be born in Calgary at the General Hospital.
Ed’s love of motorcycle racing was passed on to his son. Ed bought Ted his first motorcycle in 1977 and went on to ride motocross and ice racing. It became a family sport and they travelled as a family all over western Canada and the north western United States. After Ted finished racing, Ed took up archery and bow hunting. His love of archery led to his grandchildren competing in 3-D shoots. He encouraged and helped support his granddaughter Ashley to enter World Competitions where she became the first Canadian Compound shooter to win a gold medal in the World Outdoor Target Championships. Ed was very proud of Ashley’s accomplishments and enjoyed attending competitions and drove her all over Canada and the USA.
Family was very important to Ed, and he built a strong relationship with his cousins. Ed and Lorna passed on their sense of family and love to their children and their families. Ed was a proud husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was also a friend to many over the years, one of his dearest friend of late was “Canmore Jane”, who through the pandemic talked to Ed every day and pumped him for more of his life stories.
Ed was strong willed and definitely had a mind of his own, but under all that moutian man exterior he had a sense of humour and found a funny HaHa in many things; if you stubbed your toe, and you were complaining, he would say “I didn’t feel a thing”. He laughed and found humour in things right up until the night before he passed, and he left us with all these great memories.
As always there was a succession of dogs the current one being “Toby”, who laid by his bedside at the end.
He leaves to continue on his legacy the love of his life and wife of 61½ years, Lorna Thomas; his daughters, Charlotte (Blair) Meierhofer of Carseland, AB, and Karen (Dan) Wallace of Redcliff AB; his grandchildren, Shawn (Kaity) Meierhofer of Medicine Hat, AB, Alan (Chelsey) Meierhofer of Calgary, Ashley Wallace of Redcliff AB, Steven (Elle Bruce) Meierhofer of Calgary and James (Deborah Kidd) Wallace of Taber, AB; great-grandchildren, Troy, Wrightkin, Cade, Keira and Barrett. Ed was predeceased by his Father in 1947 and his Mother in 1969; his only son “Ted” in 2008; and a great grandson, Malin in 2018.
Due to the covid pandemic we are facing at this time, there will not be a funeral. Ed has already been cremated and will be buried in Queen’s Park Cemetery in the Thomas Family plot at a later date. His grandson, James built a small camp stove, using Ed’s design, his welders and metal from his yard to make an Urn for Ed’s cremated remains.
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Ed, please visit www.choicememorial.com.