Allan C Thompson

That quote could well have been imagined with Allan Thompson in mind. A builder, a cowboy, a rugged man from humble beginnings on the Canadian prairie who created a vivid life filled with love and respect from all who knew him.

It is with great sorrow, but also with a great celebration of a life well-lived, that “Big” Al’s family announces his passing after a long goodbye due to complications from Lewy-Body Dementia. But in our mind’s eye, we see him smiling, astride a horse, his drover coat and cowboy hat on, waving as he rides into a Canadian Rocky Mountain sunset with his beloved dogs, Bear, Gunther, Lexie and Sheba, trotting happily alongside.

It would be easy to point to his great stone and steel structures as monuments to his life, from tall residences in Toronto to resort cabins in Banff, from a skyscraper in San Diego to a mega-church in Jacksonville, from a log cabin in Bragg Creek to a pet boutique in Idyllwild. But his real monument is his quiet but fierce love of his wife of 38-years Diane and their blended families. His memory remains a blessing for Diane and their children, Karen Lifshey (and her daughter Emily who called Al “Popop”), Richard and Hollie Lifshey, Michael and Laura Lifshey (and children Noah and Kaia), Chad and Jennifer Thompson.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Alzheimer’s Association to help battle the scourge of this awful disease.

"He goes first to build that cabin for when his big family joins him later."