Terry’s visitation will be held on Friday from
2 to 4 and 7 to 9pm. Funeral Mass will be held Saturday at
11:00am in St. Ninian Cathedral with Reverend Daniel MacLennan
presiding.
For both visitation and funeral, masks are
still mandatory, and proof of full vaccination and corresponding
government ID is required.
Thompson, Terrance Bernard “Terry”, 73, of
Cloverville, Antigonish County, passed away on August 5, 2021, in the
R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home, Antigonish, holding hands with, and in
the presence of, those he loved.
Born in Antigonish, he was a son of the late Terrance and
Dorothy (MacInnis) Thompson.
Terry, more affectionately known as TerBear by his girls, was
a kind soul with a unique open-mindedness, the owner of a thriving
rock collection, and an unmatched ability to sing along to songs
without ever knowing the words. Remembered as one of the most
inadvertently funny human beings with the ability to be bested by no
other in the art of recyclingthe same few jokes; getting more of a
kick out of them himself than anyone else ever did – often giggling at
the pained expressions of his girls before the delivery of the joke
itself. He had many one-liners that have lasted the test of time; as
he always proclaimed, “everything in moderation”. The
exception, of course, being the number of times he could say a
person’s name in so little as a three minute
exchange.
Best known for his lengthy goodbyes and delivering a bear hug
like no other, greetings always started in a two-handed handshake,
followed by a, “God bless ya, dear” and a rib crushing hug.
Anything to increase his self-proclaimed “Hug-o-meter”.
Having lived out most of his life in his beloved Cloverville, his
lifelong hobby included taking hostage those wanting to have a glimpse
of its beauty by hiking through its entirety, paying no mind to the
bodily suffering of those on his guided tour in an attempt to show off
the record worthy Ash tree, childhood swimming holes, and the
understated views that lie within its woods.
Terry was an avid tea drinker and reader of every newspaper
he could get his hands on. As a result, there was never a shortage of
(broken) glasses to be found around the home or on his person. The
perfect start to Terry’s day began with honey in his tea,
the morning paper and enjoying the “most important meal of the
day!” and the perfect way to end his day was a full plate of
dinner surrounded by family and the opportunity to exclaim, “My
eyes were bigger than my belly” or that he was in fact,
“full as a tick”.
He was a man who ran on “Thompson Time”, although
he was certain he was the one leading the rally in getting his five
daughters ready and out the door. A true mystery, as he somehow ended
up being the only one Mary G ever left behind before heading out to
church; found in the mirror, still fluffing his hair.
Terry held on long enough to once again be surrounded by the
familiar sounds of “him’s precious girls” singing and
laughing to some of his favourite songs and telling some of their
favourite jokes, fondly, at his expense. Such was his lot in life,
being outnumbered in a family of only women. His bright blue eyes, shy
but genuine smile, and soft laughter comforted his loved ones during
the visits leading into his final days.
He is at last reunited with his wife and love of his life,
Gidget. They are most certainly relaxing at a beach somewhere,
laughing at Terry, dressed in what he deemed to be proper beach
attire; a good pair of slacks, wool socks and velcro sandals. They are
listening to all the music they loved and shared together, from the
Beach Boys to Patsy Cline.
You will be forever missed, Terry T. May you have an endless
lawn to mow and a camp built down by the river. Let’s get
synchronized.
Terry is survived by his daughters, Sarah (Trevor), Calgary;
Kathleen, Toronto; Laura, Toronto; Leah, Nelson, BC; Emma, Antigonish;
his three grandchildren, Nicolas, Levi, and Mary Elizabeth; and
siblings, Sandra (Tom) Jardine, Waterville; Paul, Antigonish; Wayne,
Antigonish; Len (Bernadette), Halifax; Greg (Isabel), Heatherton;
sister-in-law, Barb Thompson, Cloverville; brother-in-law, John
Swinkels, Bayfield; brother-in-law, Phil Warren, Murphy Lake, and many
treasured nieces and nephews.
Predeceased by his wife, Mary Gertrude “Gidget”;
brother, Gary; and sisters Debbie Swinkels and Liz
Warren.
Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held Friday,
October
8, in C.L Curry Funeral Home, 135 College Street, Antigonish, from 2
to 4 and 7 to 9pm. Funeral Mass will be held Saturday,
October 9, at 11:00am. Burial in the
parish cemetery.
In Memoriam, donations can be made to the R.K. MacDonald
Nursing Home Foundation.
Online condolences: www.clcurry.com
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Terrance Bernard Terry Thompson 1948 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Antigonish, Province: Nova Scotia