Obituary of Thomas Francis Doyle

June 6, 1938 – Limerick, Ireland

February 10, 2023 – Calgary, Alberta

Thomas (Tom) Doyle, of Calgary, AB, passed away on Friday, February 10, 2023, at the age of 84 years.

Born and raised in Limerick, Ireland, Tom attended school in Ireland and Wales before moving to Edmonton, Alberta with his two sisters, where he met his future wife, Joan. Following their engagement, they moved and worked in London England before returning to Edmonton and marrying in August 1963.

He spent most of his career with Canadian insurance company The Cooperators, working in Edmonton and Regina before moving and settling in Calgary in the early seventies. From Divisional Services, he moved to the commercial real estate development division (CDCL) in the late seventies and was the Director when he retired. His legacy for development projects carries on today with the award-winning Heritage Square building in Calgary, which opened in 1981.

He loved the sea, particularly the Atlantic Ocean where he grew up, which he declared was the only real ocean in the world. Moving to landlocked Alberta, family holidays were spent by the water in Jasper National Park, teaching his children how to fish, in addition to time spent hiking and exploring the beautiful mountains, rivers and lakes. It wasn’t the ocean, but he did admire the sunshine during Alberta winters, versus the steady stream of clouds and rain where he grew up.

He shared a passion for reading and learning with Joan that was also passed on to their children and grandchildren over the years. He was both supportive and strict when it came to school learning, but he also helped his children explore other worlds through additional reading outside of school and discussions about the content that ranged from Rupert the Bear and Dandy and Beano annuals to more complicated authors as they grew older. It was a contagious passion that led to the family amassing a diverse collection of books over the years.

His love of music ranged from opera, particularly the Wagner Ring Cycle, to Tom Waits and almost everything in between, which he enjoyed through carefully selected audio components and speakers – some that he built himself. His audiophile approach to high-quality music and equipment was passed along to his children over the years through frequent trips to test out new speakers (usually by playing the Ride of Valkyries and the hammer strike) and boxing day trips to the Millers, then Sony store, on 4th Street downtown for the great deals each year.

He also played the oboe and trumpet growing up, a tradition he passed along to his daughter Joanne, son Connor and grandson Anthony.

Regardless of the day or time of year, there was always music playing and books to read, providing a rich environment to grow up in.

He also loved to travel, by boat, ship, or plane, even crossing the Atlantic in a big steamer ship that had its share of turbulent weather along the way. He shared his fascination with planes with frequent family trips to the local airport to watch the takeoffs and landings and could easily tell what was flying over by the number of engines and their placement.

He inherited the ability and love of carpentry from his father, which evolved into ongoing DIY projects in the family homes, from replacing linoleum floors and re-sanding hardwood to updating plumbing and electrical, with everyone in the family participating.

Tom is survived by his loving wife of nearly 60 years Joan (nee Bloor), his daughters, Rowena and Joanne; son, Connor; daughter-in-law, Lorilei (nee Spencer); grandchildren, Anthony Goritschnig, Isabelle and Angeline Doyle all of Calgary, AB; and in-laws, niece, nephews, friends and former colleagues.

Tom was predeceased by his mother Madeleine Doyle (nee Murnane), father Michael (Mick) Doyle, and stepmother Ida Doyle, and his two sisters, Angela Doyle and Elizabeth Bhattacharya (nee Doyle).

The family would like to thank the staff in Unit 32 at the Foothills Hospital for their high level of care and compassion during Tom’s time there.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Gerard’s Catholic Church (8944 Elbow Drive S.W., Calgary, AB) on Friday, April 28, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. Reception to follow in the church hall. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed at www.McInnisandHolloway.com.

In living memory of Thomas (Tom) Doyle, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, Ab t2x 3j3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.