Tom was born on January 4, 1929 in Nelson BC. He spent his early years on his grandparent’s farm in Sunshine Bay on Kootenay Lake. He attended Harrop School, then Nelson Central High School. He spent his last year of his secondary education in Victoria living with his aunt and uncle.
After graduation, he worked with Island Tug and Barge Co. for a year, and then returned to Nelson and joined Kelly Douglas Co. While living in Nelson, he married his first wife Peggy Sherwood who passed away during childbirth, leaving him with a son, Richard.
While Tom was still employed with Kelly Douglas, he transferred to Vernon in the early 50’s and married his second wife, the late Geraldine Fraser. They had 2 sons, Robert Gordon, Ronald Stephen as well as a daughter, Lea-Anne.
He later transferred to Vancouver to train as store manager for Super Value Store. In 1969, he left Super Value to join the Canadian Coast Guard. He worked aboard the weather ship “Quadra” which took part in the Global Atmospheric Tropical Experiment in Dakar in the summer of 1974 which covered the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Africa to South America.
Later, it was aboard the “Quadra” that he met his third wife Jocelyne. She was the ship’s acting chief cook. They traveled extensively both at home and abroad. Eventually they settled on Vancouver Island, near Duncan where they built a beautiful home and garden which was featured in the Organic Gardening Magazine in 1989. Tom built a chicken coop, rabbit sheds and many outbuildings for their farm animals.
When the weather ships “Quadra and Vancouver” were retired in 1981, Tom eventually transferred to the Search and Rescue unit with the Canadian Coast Guard and then took early retirement in 1991. At this point Tom and Jocelyne sold their hobby farm and moved to Oliver. They enjoyed travelling to the USA, Mexico and across Canada. Eventually they re-located again, moving to the Kootenays, to a house just a few miles from Tom’s childhood home.
At their new home in Procter, Tom kept busy building raised garden beds and greenhouses. He was involved with many activities in the community and was President of the Procter Creek Improvement District for at least 5 years.
He made a huge Christmas star which he put on the top of a very tall fir tree on his property. The star could be seen from far away. He had to climb to change the burnt lights a few times. The star remained on the tree for years.
After breaking his hip on Christmas morning 2004, they sold the house in Procter and moved to Vernon in July 2005. There all the work started again outside and he worked at renovating the house. Building of raised beds for the garden was on again. He did some beautiful water colour paintings and spent a lot of time reading in the last years.
After he broke his leg, which never healed completely, his health started to slowly deteriorate. His mind remained very sharp right up until the end when he was still able to joke with the nurses. He passed away peacefully at the Vernon Hospice House on March 29, 2022, after a short battle with colon cancer. He fought this cancer in 1995 and 1997, but this time he didn’t win.
He was a peaceful, kind and generous man, who was always ready to help others.
He is survived by his wife Jocelyne, of 39 years, his sons Richard and Ronald and 2 grandchildren (Ronald’s).
He was predeceased by his son Robert 2015 daughter Lea-Anne 2016 and a grandson Christopher 2018 (Lea-Anne’s)
No service upon request. No flowers. Cremation took place and his ashes to be buried in Nelson Cemetery.
Any donation to the charity of your choice.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Thomas Sewell March 29th 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Vernon, Province: Colombie britanique