Obituary for Charles Wilson "Chuck" Thompson
Thompson, Charles Wilson
Charles died peacefully in the Perth hospital on Saturday April 22, 2017 at the age of 91 years. He was predeceased by his parents, Fred and Alice Thompson, sister Mary Kirby and his beloved wife Jean (Mitchell) Thompson. Charles will be sadly missed his children, Marie (Blair) of Halifax, Frances (Patrick) of Toronto, Michael (Jennifer) of Ottawa and Larry (Holly) of Merrickville, his grand-daughters Laura Hodgins (Forrest Parlee), Jennifer Hodgins (Chris Ferguson), Darien Hamilton-Thompson and Meghan Dean (Liza); great-grand-children, James and Rose Parlee, his sister, Louise Lloyd (Donald) of Toronto, and beloved niece and nephews. Charles and Jean lived in Ottawa for over 35 years. He retired after a 35 year career with Atomic Energy of Canada.
Charles, or Chuck as he preferred to be known, was born on October 26, 1925 in Clinton in Huron County, Ontario. He grew up with the lessons learned watching his father struggle with a rural medical practice during the worst of the depression. While his family never wanted for food or comfort, many of his father’s patients did – often bartering livestock or garden produce for medical care. These observations and advice from his mother Alice gave Charles the powerful sense of compassion that defined the rest of his life. In his mid-20s, he converted to Roman Catholicism and fell in love with Jean Marie Mitchell of Hespeler, Ontario. He obtained his BA from Waterloo Lutheran University thanks to the support given to veterans of World War II. He accepted a job in 1952 with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., where he believed he could be part of a new and bright future. As newlyweds they moved to Deep River, Ontario, where they started their family, later moving to Ottawa in 1955. After a successful career at AECL, Chuck and Jean retired to Perth, Ontario. This was where Jean had her family roots, but Chuck was thrilled to commit himself once again to small town life. The two of them were active in the school breakfast program and in many other efforts sponsored by St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, only a few blocks from their home. Chuck went through treatment for prostate cancer and subsequently volunteered, along with Jean, for the Canadian Cancer Society, driving patients to and from Perth for medical appointments in Ottawa or Kingston. In the last stage of their lives together, they found a new community of friends at Carolina Retirement home on the banks of the Tay River in Perth. After Jean died in 2014, Chuck found solace in his Catholic faith and the friendship of his many companions – some of whom discovered that he was a very reliable bridge partner. His cheerful presence there will be deeply missed.
Friends may pay their respects at the Blair & Son Funeral Home, 15 Gore St. West, Perth on Wednesday April 26th, 2017 from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, followed by a Reception in the Blair & Son Family Centre.
The family would like to thank the staff at Kingston General Hospital, the Perth Hospital and Carolina Suites. In remembrance of Charles, memorial donations to the Cancer Society (Wheels of Hope) driving assistance program or the Great War Memorial Hospital, Perth Foundation (for palliative care) would be appreciated.
Charles died peacefully in the Perth hospital on Saturday April 22, 2017 at the age of 91 years. He was predeceased by his parents, Fred and Alice Thompson, sister Mary Kirby and his beloved wife Jean (Mitchell) Thompson. Charles will be sadly missed his children, Marie (Blair) of Halifax, Frances (Patrick) of Toronto, Michael (Jennifer) of Ottawa and Larry (Holly) of Merrickville, his grand-daughters Laura Hodgins (Forrest Parlee), Jennifer Hodgins (Chris Ferguson), Darien Hamilton-Thompson and Meghan Dean (Liza); great-grand-children, James and Rose Parlee, his sister, Louise Lloyd (Donald) of Toronto, and beloved niece and nephews. Charles and Jean lived in Ottawa for over 35 years. He retired after a 35 year career with Atomic Energy of Canada.
Charles, or Chuck as he preferred to be known, was born on October 26, 1925 in Clinton in Huron County, Ontario. He grew up with the lessons learned watching his father struggle with a rural medical practice during the worst of the depression. While his family never wanted for food or comfort, many of his father’s patients did – often bartering livestock or garden produce for medical care. These observations and advice from his mother Alice gave Charles the powerful sense of compassion that defined the rest of his life. In his mid-20s, he converted to Roman Catholicism and fell in love with Jean Marie Mitchell of Hespeler, Ontario. He obtained his BA from Waterloo Lutheran University thanks to the support given to veterans of World War II. He accepted a job in 1952 with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., where he believed he could be part of a new and bright future. As newlyweds they moved to Deep River, Ontario, where they started their family, later moving to Ottawa in 1955. After a successful career at AECL, Chuck and Jean retired to Perth, Ontario. This was where Jean had her family roots, but Chuck was thrilled to commit himself once again to small town life. The two of them were active in the school breakfast program and in many other efforts sponsored by St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, only a few blocks from their home. Chuck went through treatment for prostate cancer and subsequently volunteered, along with Jean, for the Canadian Cancer Society, driving patients to and from Perth for medical appointments in Ottawa or Kingston. In the last stage of their lives together, they found a new community of friends at Carolina Retirement home on the banks of the Tay River in Perth. After Jean died in 2014, Chuck found solace in his Catholic faith and the friendship of his many companions – some of whom discovered that he was a very reliable bridge partner. His cheerful presence there will be deeply missed.
Friends may pay their respects at the Blair & Son Funeral Home, 15 Gore St. West, Perth on Wednesday April 26th, 2017 from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, followed by a Reception in the Blair & Son Family Centre.
The family would like to thank the staff at Kingston General Hospital, the Perth Hospital and Carolina Suites. In remembrance of Charles, memorial donations to the Cancer Society (Wheels of Hope) driving assistance program or the Great War Memorial Hospital, Perth Foundation (for palliative care) would be appreciated.