Ora Thommasen

Ora was born on December 11, 1936 in Willingdon, Alberta to Victor and Elsie Goresky. Her father was a physician, and in 1937 he chose to move his medical practice to Castlegar, B.C. At age of 3, Ora, began to experience a delay in learning and it was soon determined that she had irretrievably lost her hearing. At the age of five, she was, therefore, enrolled in the British Columbia School for the Deaf and Blind, first in Burnaby, BC, where it was located during the war, then in Vancouver at the Jericho site. She attended school there until the age of 16, returning home to Castlegar only for Christmas and summer vacations.

After leaving Jericho Hill School, she attended business school in Vancouver, where she learned typing and shorthand skills.

Ora had a very outgoing and social personality. When she returned to Castlegar on her holidays, her younger sister, Eileen, became a close and loyal companion. She also engaged a cohort of girlfriends. Using sign language and her skill at lip-reading, Ora over-came communication barriers, and she taught her friends to use basic sign-language communication. All were taught the hand signs of "i, l, y", meaning I love you! She even attended summer camp with her Castlegar friends.

Bill Thommasen, who was also deaf, had become acquainted with Ora at the Jericho school. They met again later, through a friend, and Bill pursued her to Castlegar. They were married in 1955. Despite being raised in an era of inadequate services for the hearing impaired, Ora managed a home, Bill and Ora raised their family and Bill was gainfully employed in the lumber industry. They remained close companions.

The family moved a few times as Bill worked to support the family, ultimately settling in Youbou. Prior to Bill's retirement, the family purchased a mobile home and chose to move to Cobble Hill. There, they lived together until Bill passed away in 2017. Ora then continued to live independently, with her two dogs, until the time of her death.

Ora functioned with ease in the community. She was supported by a network of people who knew her well and treated her as a friend. She had her own unique impact on the people she met. Although she was perceived as disabled because of her hearing loss, her animated communication was entertaining and effective, motivating a number of family and friends to learn the skill of American Sign Language. She was loved by many.

Ora had 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Ora and Bill had three children, all with normal hearing skills: Stephen (1956-2006), Harvey (1957), and Anne (Coulombe)(1960). There remain four grandchildren; Cora Coulombe, Christopher Coulombe, Keri den Otter and Amy Thommasen. There are seven great-grandchildren: Halle, Toby, Baylee, Samantha, Jackson, Josiah, and Naomi.

The family has chosen to forgo a memorial service at this time, and ashes will be interred at a later date.