THOMAS, Maj (Ret) Charles Edmund, CD, MA, LLM
Born at Colchester, Es, on 19 March 1957; immigrated to Canada with his family in 1959; married at Ottawa, Ontario, on 10 October 1998; died unexpectedly at the Stratford General Hospital in Stratford, Ontario, on 10 October 2020.
Predeceased by his parents, the Rev Fr William Morley House Thomas and Joyce Rose (Morgan) Thomas, and his elder brother, Stephen Gregory Thomas. Survived by his wife, Philippa Charmion Chaplin-Thomas; his sisters Mary Cecilia Travis (Terrance) of North Buxton, Ontario, and Madeleine Angela Duxbury (David) of Lasalle, Ontario; his brother, Guy Vincent Thomas (Jan Saul) of Stratford; five nephews and nieces; nine great-nephews and great-nieces; and many, many friends.
With 30 years of service in the Canadian Forces as a legal officer, Edmund served with the Canadian garrison at Lahr, West Germany (1988–1991), and deployed on operations to Bosnia (1995), Haiti (1997) and Afghanistan (2008). Over the last 20 years of his military career, Edmund specialized in defence at court martial, a vocation that took him to Regular Force and Reserve units all over Canada and some overseas.
After retirement from the army, he practised criminal law with Legal Aid Ontario and volunteered for the Association for the Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (Innocence Canada). At the time of his death, he was also studying for a doctorate in law at the University of Western Ontario and brushing up his German language skills. As well as learning,
Edmund took great pleasure in friendship, which he pursued in physical fitness activities, entertaining at home, foreign travel, and most particularly through enjoyment of music. He loved hiking and camping, even in the rain. At dinner parties, he was the enthusiastic host reaching across the table to fill a guest’s glass. His fine singing voice did justice to an extensive repertoire of murder ballads and selections learned from Johnny Cash. Combining a kind heart with firm morality and razor wit, he was the best of companions.
The funeral will be held at St. James’s Anglican Church in Stratford, at two o’clock on Friday, 16 October 2020. Interment will be at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa when the pandemic eases and travel is safe again.
In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for memorial donations to Innocence Canada, the Humane Society, and food-security organizations. Donations may be made through Rutherford Cremation & Funeral Services (James A. Rutherford Funeral Home) by calling 519-271-5062.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Charles Edmund Thomas Saturday October 10th 2020..
Rutherford Cremation and Funeral Services
Death notice for the town of: STRATFORD, Province: Ontario