Joseph Urban Thompson

THOMPSON, Joseph Urban - passed away on January 31, 2020 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Born in Saint John, NB he was the son of the late Robert and Elizabeth Thompson, he grew up in the village of Nelson-Miramichi NB and was a member of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. On graduation from high school, he fulfilled his desire to enrol in the Royal Canadian Navy and began a career that spanned thirty-seven years and saw him rise through the ranks from Ordinary Seaman to Lieutenant-Commander. During his career he served in bases and stations across Canada, USA and with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Middle East, as well as at sea in a number of Canada’s warships. Upon his retirement from the Navy he returned to Nelson-Miramichi and involved himself in many volunteer and community services. He was a former chairman of the Board of Directors of Mount Saint Joseph Nursing Home, former member of the Board of Directors of Miramichi Regional Hospital, former chairman of the Rotary Club of Newcastle, member of the Board of Directors of the Nelson Family and Seniors Housing Association, and was active in the Nelson Cenotaph Refurbishment project. Provincially he was a former member of the New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association in Fredericton. An accomplished artist, his work has been shown in galleries in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. In 2016 he and his wife relocated to be closer to family. He is survived by his wife, Crystal Skelhorn-Parker; two sons, Robert (Janice) of Eastern Passage, NS and William (late Linda) of Lawrencetown, NS; sister, Joan Parker of Moncton, NB; two step-sons, Shaun Parker (Michelle) and Jeffory Parker of Vancouver, BC, three grandsons, Casey, Jeffory and Jordan and one special granddaughter Annie. He was predeceased by his first wife Elizabeth Morash and brother Kenneth. Cremation has taken place. Visitation will take place in A. L. Mattatall Funeral Home, 217 Portland Street, Dartmouth on Saturday February 8, from 1-3pm. Donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada or to a charity on one’s choice. Interment will take place at a later date in Nelson-Miramichi, NB. Messages of condolence may be sent to: www.mattatallfuneralhome.com