On September 12, 2022, Thorkild Dissing Froslev, 89 of
Brackendale British Columbia, died peacefully at home as
he wanted, his wife Dorte by his side.
Thor is survived by Dorte (nee Jensen) his wife and
partner of 40 years, son Kayne, grandsons Lui (Ane and
great granddaughter Elva) and Vincent, sister Tove, his
large extended family in Denmark and Norway, and his
nephew Kelvin and family. He is predeceased by parents
Jens and Helga, first wife Lis, daughter Kaja, sister Ingrid
and brother Bent.
He will be missed by Dorte’s sisters Trudi (Richard) and
Rikke, and nieces Nina, Lindi and Anna, who loved him
dearly.
Even as a young boy growing up in Kongens Lyngby,
Denmark, Thor was a force to be reckoned with:
entrepreneurial, practical, sharp-eyed, and opportunistic in
the best sense of the word. Drawn to the excitement and
opportunity of the West Coast, Thor and his young family
moved to British Columbia in 1957 where he became a
longshoreman, working on the docks until 1985.
Fuelled by his inimitable charm and stubborn personality,
Thor had a near magical ability to get people invested in
his unrelenting vision. Thor loved artists and was in awe of
their creativity and boldness. Because of this reverence,
he was inspired to build one of the West Coast’s most
enigmatic cultural spaces, the Brackendale Art Gallery,
which opened its doors in October 1972 and has been a
beacon of community, art, learning and environmentalism
for 50 years.
For 35 years Thor hosted the Brackendale Eagles Festival
and Count that served as a celebration and a reminder to
the community and the world that we need to respect and
protect the environment around us, and that we can do
this through science, activism and persuasion. Thor and
Len (Lefty) Goldsmith spearheaded a campaign to
preserve the unique habitat on the West side of the
Squamish River, culminating in the designation of the
Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park in 1999.
In his 50 years in the Brackendale area, Thor was a
source of provocation and inspiration. He served a term on
Squamish Council in 1976-77 where he was the Chair of
the Recreation Commission during the development of the
Brennan Park Recreation Centre and Centennial Fields,
and was a driving force in the resurrection of the
Brackendale Farmers Institute and Fall Fair in 1994
serving as president for many years. Thor was honoured
by the Squamish Chamber of Commerce in 2005 for his
leadership in tourism and cultural development, and
presented with the Freedom of the Municipality in 2018,
the highest honour a municipality can bestow. Thor also
received a BC Achievement Award in 2016 for his
profound contribution to the community of Squamish
through the promotion of art and artists, environmental
awareness and community leadership.
The last two plus years during the Pandemic were
especially difficult for Thor. Not being able to showcase
performers and artists for the community was
disheartening for Thor because it really was his reason for
being. So in his distinctive style, despite health and
logistical challenges, over the two summers of 2020/2021
during Covid, Thor hosted 43 free “parking lot” concerts
“for the neighbours” so people could safely enjoy music
and connect with each other, a gift from a man who loved
his community extraordinarily, and whose legend and
impact will influence and inspire generations to come.
On behalf of Dorte and Thor’s family and friends, a special
thank you is extended to the stoic and gracious VCH team
involved in Thor’s excellent care and support over the past
few years. And a special thanks to Dr. Cudmore, who in
the end did see him out. In lieu of flowers, please support
your favorite environmental initiatives. There will be a
Celebration of Life for Thor in early December.
Read Less
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Thor Froslev Monday September 12th 2022..
Squamish Funeral Chapel & Crematorium
Death notice for the town of: Squamish, Province: Colombie britanique