Obituary of Thomas Richard Hall
Hall, Thomas R.
July 24, 1929 – January 17, 2021
Being an independent cuss, I decided to
write my own obituary.
I was born in St. Catharines,
Ontario, but grew up in Baie
Comeau, Quebec, when my
Father, Robert, moved there with my mother,
Hilda, and family to help
start up a new news-
print paper mill. It was a good
environment for me and my
two sisters, Valerie (dec.) and Carole (of Guelph),
and two brothers, Robert (of Sherbrooke)
and David (of Shawinigan).
We all know the world is not fair.
In my case, I enjoyed a good life;
in fact, a charmed life because
everything seemed to go my way.
Some of that was likely due to
working the equivalent of 60 years
in 40 and some was good luck. An
example of that is that I met my
second wife, Angela, totally by
accident. She proved to be perfect
but, I lost her to cancer in 2014. I
will join her and her mother and
dozens of my ancestors in the Warner
Family Cemetery near St. Catharines.
The generous share of good things in
my life did not end with me. My four
children, Susan (Brian), Karen, Brian (Anne) and Bruce (Patrice)
have all become honest, successful and
healthy good citizens thanks in good
measure to my first wife, Norma. We now
have seven happy and healthy grand
children and eight wonderful great grand
children! Add in the partners and the
total comes to 29!
After graduating in chemical engineering
at U of T, I naturally joined the pulp and
paper mill in Baie Comeau and spent the
next 42 years managing departments and
pulp and paper companies in Quebec, Ontario,
New York and England and retired in 1994
after nine years as president of Stora Forest
Industries in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Because of those years living and working
in many communities, I have been blessed
with many dear friends all over the world.
There are way too many to name them but
they know who they are. The loving families
of my sister and brothers and of Angela’s
sister Helen and nephew David (Susan) and niece Linda Sue (Terry)
add a great many more.
I have been fighting prostate cancer for about
25 years; that may be some kind of a record
thanks to my good doctors; Dr. Curtis Nickel
and Dr. Vera Badillo and their staffs.
Clearly, I received far more than my fair share
of the good things in life and I cannot complain.
To do so, would be hypocritical.
The virus is still very active as I write this, making
any plans for a memorial gathering impossible at
this time. If it takes too long to do anything, I
would say, “ let the old guy go in peace”,
burial at Warner Cemetery
and celebration of life will take place at a later date.
Arrangements entrusted to James Reid Funeral Home.
If you are inclined to make a donation,
please consider a charity of your choice,
The Warner Family Cemetery or Doctors Without Borders.
