Thomas McDonald

On Friday, September 13th, 2024 we lost our dad, Thomas “Sky” McDonald, to a sudden and brief fight with cancer. Throughout this fight, our dad had a positive attitude, great determination, and a wonderful sense of humour; he spent much of his time in the hospital laughing with and teasing family, friends, nurses and doctors.

Thomas, or Tom as most called him, was born in Kilwinning, Scotland on June 5, 1949. He recently celebrated his 75th birthday. He moved from Scotland to Canada in his early 20’s and made many friends along the way, finally settling in Nanaimo, BC.

Anyone who knew our dad knew how much he loved life. He worked hard and played hard. He enjoyed singing and playing guitar and was a talented songwriter and poet. He loved it when the sun came out, so he could sit on his deck and visit with guests or play his guitar. He loved gardening and was usually surrounded by the flowers on his deck, that he would often grow from seed. He also loved visiting his local pub for a “cheeky pint” and a lively conversation with old and new friends.

Always an entrepreneur at heart, our dad did many things during his life: from busking on the streets of London, to selling jewelry at a kiosk he built, to most recently being a property manager. He always kept himself busy, had an incredible work ethic, and loved pursuing new and creative business ideas.

Being Scottish was also a large part of his identity and his sense of humour. One quote of his that our family knows well is: “if it nae Scottish, it’s crrrrrrap”. Our dad passed that heritage onto us, his kids. Our shared love of finding a deal and visiting garage sales and thrift stores comes from him.

Not a year would go by without him also mentioning Robbie Burns, a beloved Scottish poet. He would often quote one poem in particular, with a mischievous grin: “Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie, O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!” His Scottish accent always seemed thicker during these spontaneous recitals.

Another Burns poem also captured his love of Scotland, and seems like a fitting goodbye for our kind and sensitive dad: “Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the north, the birth-place of valor, the country of worth; wherever I wander, wherever I rove, the hills of the Highlands forever I love.”

Farewell Dad. We’ll miss you.

Tom is survived by his wife: Debbie, his five children: Zara (Gavin), Kyla (Dean), Ashlee (Joel), Devon (Shauna) and Jordan (Olivia), and his four grandchildren: Ethan, Cody, Adalyn, and Elijah. As per his wishes, there will be no formal service. Instead, there will be a chance to share stories with family and friends, and share a pint, at his favorite pub sometime soon. Our family would like to thank the staff at the Nanaimo Palliative Care Unit for taking such good care of our dad in his final days.