Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Saskatchewan for funeral details
Thomas Hunter was born near Deloraine Manitoba on June 9, 1919 to Walter Hunter and Elizabeth (Brown) Hunter, as recent immigrants to Canada from Dumfries Scotland. He, his twin brother Willie, and older sister Alison were initially raised on a homestead at Dollard near Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. But after three years of crop failure, they moved north to Birch Hills and settled on a farm south of Fenton. Thomas finished Grade 9 in the rural Coolidge and Heatherdell schools. He started farm labor early when his father Walter had a stroke in 1930. The three children and their mother kept the farm going with the help of neighbors during the Great Depression, while Walter was bedridden before passing away in 1933. From 1936 to 1938, Thomas worked as a farm laborer in Ontario sending home pay cheques and returning periodically to support the family farm. In 1939, he returned to Fenton to help take off the harvest and then worked near The Pas Manitoba in a lumber camp for the winter.
In 1940, he enlisted in the Canadian military Service Corps. He trained as a mechanic and provided trucking, warehousing, and logistic support within the Canadian armed forces, at various bases across Canada. He served in the UK in late 1943 and assisted with the buildup of troops and supplies prior to D-Day. He sent the bulk of his miliary salary home throughout the war to sustain the family farm and took leaves with his relatives in Scotland during his service time in the UK. After the war ended in 1945, he stayed in England and helped with the demobilization and tear-down effort, returning to Canada in 1946 and discharging from the Regina Rifles.
Thomas spent the rest of his life near Fenton Saskatchewan, farming and raising his family. He worked a couple more winters in The Pas as a cook but always returned for spring seeding and fall harvest. The Veteran’s Land Act enabled him to gradually assemble his own five-quarter farm in Fenton and Tiger Hills area. Tom built every building by hand with the help of friends, family and neighbors. In 1954, he married Leah Joyce Winder, with whom he was the father of five children: Darryl (Judy), Alynn (Sandy), Roxanne, Garlin (Teresa), and Trent (Fiona), plus seven grandchildren—Chelle and Keir Matthews Hunter; Janae and Teya Hunter; Liam, Andrew and Owen Hunter, plus numerous nephews and nieces. Tom continued to work on his farm until 2011 which was the center of his world before reluctantly retiring in Birch Hills. Tom was predeceased by his daughter Roxanne in 2019 and his wife Joyce in April 2023.
Thomas was a life member of the Royal Canadian Legion and had a hand in constructing the original Legion Hall in Birch Hills. For several years, he was actively involved in the Royal Canadian Air Cadet organization and served as a trustee on the Birch Hills School Board. Thomas was an active curler into his 90’s. In spring 2023, he was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Medal by the Lieutenant Governor and the Premier of Saskatchewan for his lifetime contributions to Saskatchewan and Canada. Always a quiet and unassuming man, his passions were farming, livestock, machinery, reading, education of his family and staying abreast of global and current news events. He wore the uniform with pride, but always valued diversity. Sherbrooke Community Centre Veteran’s Home in Saskatoon provided excellent care in his last year and honoured Dad, who they recognized as one of their own.
Donations can be made in lieu of gifts or flowers to Birch Hills Nursing Home Ladies Aux
Arrangements entrusted to Mackenzie Chapel
Brian & Bev Stobbs, Mark Gyoerick, Mel Curle, & Jordyn Jacobson
Monday December 25th 2023
Death notice for the town of: Prince-Albert,, Province: Saskatchewan
death notice Thomas Hunter Monday December 25th 2023
obituaries notice Thomas Hunter Monday December 25th 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Thomas Hunter Monday December 25th 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
