Harold H. Thom

July 14, 1912 --- June 21, 2002

Harold was born in Pullman, Washington, to Clark and Beatrice Thom. Although he was raised in Canada, he always enjoyed sharing the fact that he was born on the old WSC campus, where his Canadian father was a visiting Professor of Agriculture. When Harold was two, the family returned to the Calgary area and lived on a dairy farm. He started school in a one-room schoolhouse reached on horseback, '' two miles straight across the prairies'', later attending grades 4-12 in Calgary.

He and his older sister Muriel were outstanding athletes. Harold excelled in football, hockey, and rifle shooting, and also played lacrosse and rugby and enjoyed hunting with dogs he had trained. During the summers, he worked on his uncle's ranch, herding cattle and harvesting.

Following his graduation from high school in l928, Harold spent the next seven years working for a Calgary dairy. His passions, though, were football and hockey----and he played football professionally, making $100 a game, for the Calgary Altomas later the Calgary Stampeders. Playing football without any face guards eventually cost him his front tooth, the bridge for which he could take out at will, fascinating his grandchildren!

He married a Calgary girl, Lydia Lil Poffenroth, in l936, and they moved to Vancouver, B. C. and from there to Mission, B. C., where he operated an auxiliary plant for a dairy. Their son Phillip was born in Mission in l940. In l941 he began working for the Canadian Fish Company in Vancouver, moving north to Butedale in l942 following the birth of their second son, Bryan. He continued working for Canadian Fish in Prince Rupert, B. C., where the family lived from l945 to l956. He was the manager of a fresh and frozen fish plant there, buying halibut and salmon from fishermen.

During his years in Prince Rupert he was instrumental in the building of the curling club, for he had had learned the game from his parents, who curled in Calgary. He was also deeply committed to the activities of his two sons, especially during the years when they played baseball .

In l956 Harold and his family moved to Astoria, Oregon, where he worked for New England Fish Company as plant manager for four different plants. When the Astoria plant was sold in l961, Harold accepted the manager's job at NEFCO's Pedersen Point cannery in Bristol Bay, working there until l972. He continued working with NEFCO in marine insurance until his retirement in l976. At that time he accepted a ''part-time'' offer from Louis Kemp Fisheries, where he worked until his second retirement in l986 at the age of 74.

He lost his wife, Lil, in l983, and later married Ann Ginther in September of l986. They were married for over fifteen years, enjoying a mutual love of travel, curling, spending time with family, and working in their greenhouse and beautiful Edmonds garden .

He will be remembered lovingly by his family as a man with an amazing ability to fix or build anything, one who especially loved to watch Canadian football and the Seattle Mariners, read Louis L'Amour novels, eat chocolate chip cookies, and go crabbing with old friends even at age 87. Because his kind and gentle spirit was always there for all of us, we will forever remember him as a devoted spouse, parent, grandparent and friend.

He is survived by his wife, Ann, two sons, Phillip Thom Seattle, WA and wife Marian, and Dr. Bryan Thom Redwood City, CA and wife Becky, four stepchildren, Karen Mike Grennan, Amy Steve Price, Lori Jeff McHale, Dan Diane Ginther all of the Seattle area and nephew Gordon Marnie Poffenroth Prince Rupert, B. C.. He leaves fifteen grandchildren, Tracy Darryl Walker of Portland, Kristin Gregory Duff of Woodinville, Stephanie Kevin Honkamp of Wauwatosa, WI, Jason Erin Thom of San Diego, CA, Dr. Jeremy Thom of Chicago, IL, Lisa Randy Lamb of Redwood City, CA, Michael Ashleigh Carey of Lake Tahoe, CA , Persephone Wakefield, Melissa Sean Thierry, Jessica Steve Loring, Kevin Grennan, Alex Buckingham, Stacy Price, Megan Price, and McKenzie Ginther and twelve great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at the Evergreen-Washelli chapel, 11111 Aurora Ave. N., Seattle, on Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 2:00 P.M.