Zachary Zach Thompson

From the time Zach was born, weighing in at 10 lbs 4oz (10-4) he was my little buddy. He was lovingly nick named Mattie by his 2 big sisters Kayla and Jenna. We never really wanted a specific gender until after Zach- we wanted him to have a little brother and God gave us Josiah. Our family was complete, now the fun part-raising them. Zach was our little clown, blue eyes with a little twinkle and legs that never stopped running. At 3 I made him a race track birthday cake and placed 3 little cars at intervals around the cake. I put it on top of the piano- safe from little ones or so I thought. Wasn’t long till Marshall came to me, reminding me that it was Zach’s birthday cake and I should think it was funny. I rushed to the cake to see what my little buddy had done, there in the corner of the cake, were the 3 cars- they had been pushed around the track until they were full of chocolate icing and couldn’t move any more. What 3 year old wouldn’t do that.

He had so many cousins, 20 Janzen ones and 8 Thompsons. His favourite was Marissa- she seemed to think everything he did was amazing and funny. When I asked him what he did with Marissa, he jumped and danced and said “Crazy stuff”. One of the best sounds to me was the laughter of children. My kids did a lot of laughing and playing together and often Zach would be the one to keep them entertained.

Home schooling could be interesting, trying to get Zach to do his work when his mind was on the next goofy act or adventure.

I sent him off to high school, letting go of my little, goofy boy for the big world. (I know most of you do this when your kids are 4 but it still felt hard). He drove into his studies and new friendships at high school. This is what I expected- what I didn’t expect is what happed after high school. Zach headed to Sault College to do Police Foundation and during that time he started to struggle. He lost his way with his family and soon left us. How thankful I was for Hollie who always had his back- she was a true friend. Also Jennie, the love of his life. I wanted him to be happy, I really did, but for some reason, the restlessness, anxiety and depression got the best of him and so we say Good Bye.

I love you my sweet little buddy, I never stopped loving you and yes praying for you day after day. Mom xoxo

Jenna put the following on Facebook on the day Zach would have been 21......21 memories of her brother.

1. We were in Florida and Zach and I went out for a walk barefoot at night. It may have involved running around a roundabout and hopping a fence into a public pool after hours.

2. When we were little Zach, Kayla and I would play house, we would call Zach “Matty”

3. One evening we randomly met at Dollarama and had a debate about what flavour of halls is best. He decided that the only way to settle this was to call Mike and simply ask the question and then hang up.

4. One day we were both feeling bored and decided to make a list of random thing to do. One of the ideas may have involved throwing blueberry pancakes at passing cars.

5. He was waiting for Josh to pick him up and he attempted to teach me how to waltz right there, on the side of the road, in the snow.

6. We went to Algoma Trad and Zach had promised me that he would dance with me but ended up in a euchre tournament. When I texted him he ran up. The dance had already started so we on our own. My feet hardly touched the ground and I was soar for the next week but it was the most fun I had had for a long time.

7. One evening we’d had enough of school work so he convinced me to watch 500 Days of Summer together. Zach biked to Tim Horton’s to get me hot apple cider.

8. When we were in Honduras together and I was not feeling well so Zach insisted on carrying me all the way back to my bed.

9. The time we had some sort of odd competition where we posted videos on each other facebook walls- I was supposed to make him laugh and he was supposed to make me cry.

10. How he could never resist posting a status whenever I left facebook open (which was often). LLF.

11. He told me I deserved a very nice man with some teeth. Primarily because blenders are expensive and it would confuse the blender seller people if I kept buying new blenders.

12. Zach had an assignment that required him making a 20 minute interview uncut of an interview with a suspect. Hours were spent until we had a worthy final copy where neither of us broke character.

13. Zach decided we should use his cast-iron pan to create a Dutch baby pancake. Although it failed to fluff up like it was meant to it tasted delicious.

14. One Christmas Zach made us all rings made from spoons. When my friend (who had very tiny hands) was there he went to try to find something she would like. He came down with my cat and said that it was her Christmas present.

15. When we walked to the lake a few days before Christmas and Zach insisted on taking the canoe out for a spin.

16. There have been times when I didn’t know what to listen to and Zach introduced me to Brad Paisley, Johnny Cash, Of Monsters and Men, the Lumineers. and Mumford and Sons

17. Zach would give the best hugs.

18. Zach and Josiah made a crayon eating video. Even though I wasn’t there, I have watched the video several times just to hear his voice again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tF...

19.When we lived together at my Aunt and Uncle’s house in the Soo Zach would always come into my room and say he wished he could see the Canadian flag from his window. He found beauty in the common.

20. One Christmas he gave me the book The Time Machine. He had added tape to it so it now said “How to Build the Time Machine”. That is what I really want right now, to go back to him.

21. I found the book A Wrinkle in Time with his other books. The last time I had seen him I had been reading that book and told him I really enjoyed it. He must have bought the book sometime after I told him about it. It meant so much to me that he cared about me and valued me enough to go out and buy a book that was probably a bit different than the books he usually read.

These are just some of the thousands of memories I shared with Zach. I know so many other people have good memories with Zach. He was a good brother to me and I wish I could have been a better sister to him. I loved him and I will always love him. Love Jenna

I’ll try to keep this short and sweet, because Zach never really liked long drawn out things. He was a guy of simplicity but at the same time that’s the last word I would use for Zach. He was extraordinary and not like someone I had ever met before or probably will ever meet. He was my best friend in every sense of the word. I remember his love for plaid, tea, Burt’s Bees and Altoids. He enjoyed foxes, whales, stars and trees and would try drawing them from time to time. He wasn’t bad at it either. I remember him drawing a picture he entitled “William the Dragon”. In regards to music, Pink Floyd was his favourite band, along with Modest Mouse and the National. He enjoyed biking, reading and writing and I thought he had quite the skill as a writer. I remember he used to keep a thought book that would generally start with “Had a thought today,” really Zach? Just one thought? He had this fascination with typewriters, and would get excited to know the make of the ones I had at home. He and Joe used to make fun of me because I couldn’t use Spits right when we played baseball over the 3ish years we were on the same team. I’ll never forget his huge hugs where he basically engulfed your body with his embrace and his loud and warm laugh when he found something funny. One of the things I love most about him though is his spontaneity. I remember he would drive me home some nights and ask where my parents were, I’d answer that they were in bed, and before I could finish my sentence I’d find him sitting at the foot of their bed saying hello to “Mom and Cave Troll”. I have so many memories that I cherish of us together, like wearing matching Converse, taking Driver’s Ed together, listening to Stevie Nicks in his car (but only the first song on repeat because that’s the only one he liked), him and Eric Kern throwing my shoes up on the Cass balcony and me stepping on his toes while we square danced and feeling bad because Zach liked to dance barefoot while I wore clunky boots. I remember knowing that if I saw a little silver Sunfire puttering around Algoma it was most likely Zach. I probably could have made this shorter and sweeter, but that’s not really possible when you’re speaking about such a wonderful person like Zachary.

-Brya Lee Bromfield

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THOMPSON, Zachary David – Heartbreakingly on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at the age of 20. Loving parents Marshall and Ruth. Cherished brother of Kayla, Jenna, and Josiah. Dearly loved grandson of Abe and Shirley Janzen and the late Robert and Florence Thompson. Special cousin to Marissa Lobert. Also adored by his many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Best Friend to Hollie and Zachary Lefebvre, Jennie Dorscht and family, Josh Hatherley and Stan, Kim and Caleb McHale. Zach was an adventurist, loved the outdoors and cycling, reading and poetry. Friends may call at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Monday, September 28, 2015 from 6 – 9pm and Tuesday, September 29, 2015 from 9 – 10:30 am. Funeral service will follow in the chapel on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 11am. Pastor Craig Rankin officiating. Interment Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Memorial contributions to the Sault Area Hospital Mental Health Care Fund or Northshore Christian Counselling would be appreciated.