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Joseph Howe THOMSON

Male 1923 - 2019  (~ 96 years)


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  • Name Joseph Howe THOMSON  [1] 
    Born Sept 22, 1923  Peace River, Alberta, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Gender Male 
    Miscellaneous 2019  Peace River, Alberta, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Obituary: JOSEPH HOWE THOMSON

    September 22, 1923 – June 29, 2019

    Our dearly loved high-flyer of the family, J. Howe Thomson left us on the evening of June 29, 2019. Born in Peace River, AB the youngest child of Kenneth and Winifred Thomson, he spent his early years as the ‘man of the family’ when his father was away operating a sawmill many muddy north-east miles at Faust. To the end of his life he retained fond memories of his youth in Peace River. His early life with his mother and sister Margaret carried its many responsibilities but gave him a versatility which fitted him for his whole life and his eventual entry into the RCAF during WW2.

    As a Navigator he was part of the crew of Lancaster and Halifax bombers in the 408 Goose Squadron stationed at Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire. While serving overseas he met and married Margaret Crombie Denny of Dunfermline, Scotland and they would eventually be together for 56 years until her death in 2001.

    His love of flying continued through to the end of his life and took many forms. He built models of the Lancaster and Halifax bombers and attended several air shows featuring those aircraft. In his later years he took a flight over the South Pole 63 years after actively flying.

    Following the war, Howe worked at Swift’s Meats in Edmonton and then in the Okanagan when the family relocated in 1958 to Summerland. From 1960 to 1965 he operated the IGA store in Trout Creek. Joining the Federal Government in 1965 as an Employment Counsellor for Canada Manpower and Immigration, he became a Branch Manager in several locations including Kamloops, Revelstoke, Vernon, Cranbrook, and Penticton.

    Howe and his wife Margaret were volunteers for the Summerland General Hospital. Margaret was a four decade Health Care Auxiliary worker with wide-ranging contributions. Howe as a Board member and Chair of the Summerland General Hospital went on to lead the Community Health Care Committee which replaced the hospital during the transition to Interior Health. He also served on Summerland’s 0fficial Community Planning team.

    He loved the house that he built on Jubilee Road and it was the center of the Thomson family life for many decades. Howe was noted for being an eternal optimist – always finding the positive in people and situations. He was a great storyteller, cook, bread baker, rock wall builder, and gardener and loved to putter at his workbench and greenhouse. He enjoyed golfing and as an active member for the formation of the Summerland Golf Club helped with landscaping and planting trees at the Summerland Golf Course. Howe and Margaret enjoyed a wide circle of close friends in Summerland. Those who knew Howe will remember him as a true gentleman.

    Howe was predeceased by his parents Kenneth and Winifred Thomson, his brother James Howard Thomson, and his first wife Margaret. Sharing the loss are daughters Lynn DuBourt of Tsawwassen, Lesley (Michael) Carmody of Portland, Oregon, and Sheila (Jim McCrank) Thomson of Faulder; four granddaughters; three great granddaughters; four great-grandsons; and his sister Margaret Johnstone of Summerland and her family members. Howe will be greatly missed by his second wife, Doiran Blagborne (Bruce) Thomson whom he married in 2004 and shared with him fifteen companionship years together. Howe and Doiran enjoyed the garden and were able to travel extensively.

    The family is very grateful for the care and kindness extended to Howe by Dr. Alistair Bannerman and by the staff at Summerland Seniors Village.

    As a long-time member of St. Stephen Anglican Church in Summerland, he will be interred beside his wife Margaret in the Garden of Remembrance. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at St. Stephen Anglican Church, 9311 Prairie Valley Road, Summerland, BC.

    Donations in memory of Howe can be made to the charity of your choice or to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Donation Processing Centre, 1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4G 3E8.

    Condolences may be directed to the family through -Providencefuneralhomes.com 250-494-7752. 
    Died 20 Jun 2019  Summerland, British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Person ID I115  McNab/Kuhn
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2021 

    Father Kenneth Bown THOMSON,   b. 14 Apr 1890, Brantford, Brant County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Dec 1978, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Camille Winnifred JOHNSTON,   b. 19 Oct 1890, St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 15 Jul 1973, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 82 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Married 1 Oct 1919  Peace River, Alberta, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Unable to confirm date and location
    Family ID F35  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Margaret Crombie DENNY,   b. Circa 1924, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Aug 2001, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 77 years) 
    Married 17 Jun 1945  Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Lynn THOMSON
     2. Lesley THOMSON
     3. Sheila THOMSON
    Last Modified 9 Feb 2021 
    Family ID F38  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Doiran Blagborne BRUCE 
    Last Modified 2 Oct 2020 
    Family ID F42  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - Sept 22, 1923 - Peace River, Alberta, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 17 Jun 1945 - Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMiscellaneous - Obituary: JOSEPH HOWE THOMSON September 22, 1923 – June 29, 2019 Our dearly loved high-flyer of the family, J. Howe Thomson left us on the evening of June 29, 2019. Born in Peace River, AB the youngest child of Kenneth and Winifred Thomson, he spent his early years as the ‘man of the family’ when his father was away operating a sawmill many muddy north-east miles at Faust. To the end of his life he retained fond memories of his youth in Peace River. His early life with his mother and sister Margaret carried its many responsibilities but gave him a versatility which fitted him for his whole life and his eventual entry into the RCAF during WW2. As a Navigator he was part of the crew of Lancaster and Halifax bombers in the 408 Goose Squadron stationed at Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire. While serving overseas he met and married Margaret Crombie Denny of Dunfermline, Scotland and they would eventually be together for 56 years until her death in 2001. His love of flying continued through to the end of his life and took many forms. He built models of the Lancaster and Halifax bombers and attended several air shows featuring those aircraft. In his later years he took a flight over the South Pole 63 years after actively flying. Following the war, Howe worked at Swift’s Meats in Edmonton and then in the Okanagan when the family relocated in 1958 to Summerland. From 1960 to 1965 he operated the IGA store in Trout Creek. Joining the Federal Government in 1965 as an Employment Counsellor for Canada Manpower and Immigration, he became a Branch Manager in several locations including Kamloops, Revelstoke, Vernon, Cranbrook, and Penticton. Howe and his wife Margaret were volunteers for the Summerland General Hospital. Margaret was a four decade Health Care Auxiliary worker with wide-ranging contributions. Howe as a Board member and Chair of the Summerland General Hospital went on to lead the Community Health Care Committee which replaced the hospital during the transition to Interior Health. He also served on Summerland’s 0fficial Community Planning team. He loved the house that he built on Jubilee Road and it was the center of the Thomson family life for many decades. Howe was noted for being an eternal optimist – always finding the positive in people and situations. He was a great storyteller, cook, bread baker, rock wall builder, and gardener and loved to putter at his workbench and greenhouse. He enjoyed golfing and as an active member for the formation of the Summerland Golf Club helped with landscaping and planting trees at the Summerland Golf Course. Howe and Margaret enjoyed a wide circle of close friends in Summerland. Those who knew Howe will remember him as a true gentleman. Howe was predeceased by his parents Kenneth and Winifred Thomson, his brother James Howard Thomson, and his first wife Margaret. Sharing the loss are daughters Lynn DuBourt of Tsawwassen, Lesley (Michael) Carmody of Portland, Oregon, and Sheila (Jim McCrank) Thomson of Faulder; four granddaughters; three great granddaughters; four great-grandsons; and his sister Margaret Johnstone of Summerland and her family members. Howe will be greatly missed by his second wife, Doiran Blagborne (Bruce) Thomson whom he married in 2004 and shared with him fifteen companionship years together. Howe and Doiran enjoyed the garden and were able to travel extensively. The family is very grateful for the care and kindness extended to Howe by Dr. Alistair Bannerman and by the staff at Summerland Seniors Village. As a long-time member of St. Stephen Anglican Church in Summerland, he will be interred beside his wife Margaret in the Garden of Remembrance. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at St. Stephen Anglican Church, 9311 Prairie Valley Road, Summerland, BC. Donations in memory of Howe can be made to the charity of your choice or to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Donation Processing Centre, 1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4G 3E8. Condolences may be directed to the family through -Providencefuneralhomes.com 250-494-7752. - 2019 - Peace River, Alberta, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 20 Jun 2019 - Summerland, British Columbia, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Sources 
    1. [S192] Providence Funeral Homes, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada , (La Necrologie), https://www.providencefuneralhomes.com/obituary/Joseph-Thomson (Reliability: 3).
      See full obituary in notes section by death entry or follow link.

    2. [S192] Providence Funeral Homes, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada , (La Necrologie), https://www.providencefuneralhomes.com/obituary/Joseph-Thomson (Reliability: 2).


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