Obituary of Elanor Mary Thomson

Peacefully at Royal Park, Calgary, on Sunday, September 5, 2004, Mrs. Eleanor Mary Thomson, aged 93 years. Born in Moosomin, Sask., older daughter of the late Dr. Arthur W. Tanner and Flora B. Tanner, she was educated in Moosomin and Saskatoon, graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Arts in 1931. Later that year, she began her teaching career at Crane Valley, Saskatchewan. Further positions followed at St. Chad’s in Regina and thereafter at Fort Qu’Appelle until she enlisted in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in 1943. Commissioned in 1944, she resigned with the rank of captain after the Second World War in 1946. In the spring of that year, Tinker (as she was known by all of her family and most of her friends) married Iain R. Morrison, then a captain with the Royal Canadian Engineers. After their wedding in Vancouver, they took up residence in Kamloops, B.C. where her husband resumed his pre-war practise of architecture. Following his unexpected death in 1955, Tinker moved to Salmon Arm, B.C. to resume teaching. She became well known in the community for her efforts in establishing and maintaining it as a designation for Community Concerts series and for her support of local drama. She was well liked by her high school french and english students and she gave much support and help to young women as the senior girls’ counselor at Salmon Arm Senior Secondary from whence she retired in 1975. She was also an avid gardener and enjoyed skiing, music and reading. During her retirement she served from 1978 to 1982 as the South Shuswap Director for the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District. In 1986 she married Dr. J.A.C. (Tommy) Thomson, a long standing Kamloops friend and in 1991 after having resided in Victoria, B.C., they moved to Calgary. In addition to the death of her first husband, Iain, she was predeceased by a second son, John William Morrison, her brothers, John Tanner of Sooke, B.C., Dr. Robert Tanner of Winnipeg, and her sister, Pixie Meldrum of Vancouver, as well as her second husband, Tommy. She is survived by her first son, Kenneth Alastair Morrison of Calgary and his wife Marleen and their daughter, Elizabeth Brekke Morrison, Marleen’s daughters, Genevieve Knapp ( Mike) and her children Liam and Amelia, all of Kitchener, Ont., and Rebecca Rowley of Calgary. Tinker is also survived by her nieces, Elizabeth Tanner of Sooke, B.C. and Frances Lindquist (Alan) of Victoria, B.C., and her nephews, Dr. John Tanner (Evie) of Winnipeg and Robert Tanner (Judy) of Saanich, B.C., her stepdaughter, Mary Carlyle (Bruce O’Neil) of Calgary and stepson, Dr. Jamie Thomson (Susan) of Kamloops, and her goddaughter, Pamela Lang (Duval) of Calgary. Tinker’s family wish to thank Dr. Bruce Wheeler and all the staff at Royal Park Calgary Carewest for their gentle and sympathetic care during these past few months. Arrangements by McInnis & Holloway and Memorial Service at Christ Church Elbow Park, Calgary on Saturday, September 11, 2004 at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. In living memory of Eleanor Thomson, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Park Memorial Chapel, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W., CALGARY, TELEPHONE: (403) 243-8200.