May 6, 1934 - November 30, 2021
In loving memory ~
Donald was born in the Vernon Jubilee Hospital on 6 May 1934 to Archie Thom and Lillian Thom (nee Hembling) who was the Director of Nursing at VJH from 1948 to 1961. During his boyhood he had a paper route for many years delivering the Vancouver Province daily to neighbours while attending the local schools. He was a student at Beairsto School when Mr. Harold Beairsto was the principal and attended Vernon High School in Polson Park where Mr. Clarence Fulton had been a much respected and beloved teacher. After graduation from high school, Donald pursued further studies at UBC where he completed a B.A.Sc degree in 1959 and was president of the electrical engineering class that year. He was a proud member of the University Naval Training Division, serving in the RCN Reserve for a number of years. Following university, Donald moved to Ottawa where he had a successful career with the federal civil service with the highlights including working on the US/Canada Automobile Pact and much later being on a three year secondment to the OECD in Paris, France.
Donald is survived by his loving wife and partner of 49 years, Linda (nee Malcolm), and his children of whom he was immensely proud, daughter Samantha (Peter) Lambright from Terrace BC, and son Murray (Jordan McCurrach) from Vancouver, BC. Left to remember their grandfather are Ever and Easton Thom and MacGregor and Gavin Lambright. Donald was an older brother to Murray (Loretta) and uncle to Hamish, Stuart, and Ian Thom; and Mem, John, Tony and Neill Malcolm of Sault Ste Marie.
Predeceasing him in addition to his parents are his father-in-law and mother-in-law Neill and Cara Malcolm of Ottawa, and his brother-in-law Colin Malcolm.