|
In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
THOMPSON, Glynn Lawrence - was born in his grandmother’s bed on a cold winter day on the Lawrence family farm overlooking the scenic Shubenacadie River and the rail line in South Maitland, Nova Scotia.
He was raised by his grandparents with his aunt Margaret, who was like a sister, while his widowed mother worked in Boston and Bananera, Guatemala. Uncle Lock’s wife Dorothy, who recently turned 100, was his teacher in the two-room schoolhouse. There was no electricity on the farm until the late ‘40s; one of Glynn’s treasures was an oil lamp that lit his evenings.
He left behind his sweetheart Ruby when he went off to Truro for high school, and then to join the Navy with his best friend Keith, training to be an airframe mechanic. He met his then-future wife, Joyce, on a blind date in 1950, being one of the handsome Navy lads she and her best friends landed. Together they raised four children, starting off boarding with the Rouches on Blinkbonnie Terrace, then elsewhere in Dartmouth and surrounds, plus a stint in the outskirts of Montréal in the ‘70s.
Once Chief Warrant Officer Glynn L. Thompson, CD retired from 45 years of public service in March ‘91, he and Jo went on a cross-Canada trip with their travel trailer. They left Cole Harbour for Myers Point in ‘99, where he continued woodworking, photography, golfing, and digging holes for Jo’s garden plants. In 2018, the year after he lost the love of his life, he asked his daughter (me) and son-in-law to move in with him to keep him company. We did, and were with him as his age caught up with him, forcing him to trade in his driver's licence for a cane, then a walker, then sometimes a wheelchair; as his strength and cognition diminished.
Northwood Homecare folks who helped him get going most mornings the past eleven months were all wonderfully kind and caring. They also witnessed that his intelligence and wit were strong to the end. "I don't have a poor memory; it’s the recall that’s the problem." He shared with me a love of photography, reading, research, nature, peace, roast beef, and good wine. This sweet, kind gentleman was a role model to many. He gave his children thousands of hours of research and documentation to create the genealogical masterpiece "Origins" of the family, finding great relatives in the process. He gave us, along with Mom, the foundation to also be good people. He gave us unconditional love. Our last words were, as I tucked him in for a nap and kissed his forehead, "I'll check in on you in a bit. I luv ya." "Love you too." He died peacefully at home Monday afternoon in the midst of a nap. Just as he had wished.
Left to mourn are, daughter, Glynis (Eric); sons, Philip and Scott; grandchildren, Daniel (Lindsey), Shawn (Carrie), Jacob, and Bri-anne; great-grandchildren, Lavinia, Clara, and Zachary; nieces, Cindy, Amy, and Laura; sister-in-law, Maxine, her daughters Marta and Heidi; several cousins; and special extended family. Glynn was predeceased by his beloved wife of 66 years, Joyce; son, Wayne; half-siblings, Daniel and Beverly; and parents, Cecil and Maria.
Arrangements entrusted to the care and direction of Rowlings Funeral Home, Musquodoboit Harbour, 889-2357. A celebration of life will be held via Zoom at a later date; please email thewife@ericbailey.ca if you wish to attend. Cremation has taken place. Interment at Musquodoboit Harbour Community Cemetery; Rev. Joan Griffin officiating. For those who wish to do so, donations in Glynn’s memory to Feed Nova Scotia would have been appreciated by him. (The Saltwire Network 24 Sep 2022)
|
