Mr. William Charles Thorburn

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, William Charles Thorburn. Bill is survived by his three sons, David, Jeffery, and Kevin (Carmen); his granddaughters, Reid and Sienna; and Reid’s mother, Kelly. He was predeceased by his parents; five brothers; two sisters; and his loving wife, Mable Annie (née Diminyatz).

Born in the family house in Victoria, BC, on November 29, 1924 he attended Victoria Highschool. At seventeen he and three friends joined the crew of the Restorer to lay cable to Dutch Harbour, Alaska, as part of the task force which eventually liberated the Aleutian Archipelago. All returned, and at age 18 enlisted into the RCAF, all becoming air gunners. Bill arrived in Glasgow on June 6, 1944, eventually joining 428 squadron RCAF at Middleton St. George 6 Group Bomber Command, flying operations from December 1944 to May 1945 in Lancasters.

Upon demobilization he returned to the west coast, finishing his senior matriculation in Vancouver and then attending Victoria College (now the University of Victoria) before transferring to UBC and earning a BA in 1950. In that time he met, courted, and married Mable on September 25, 1948 in Victoria.

Bill was an active sportsman, playing soccer, Canadian football and rugby during high school. But rugby was his game, as he played for Victoria High and later Victoria rugby league teams. He played for the Crimson Tide (the Vancouver Island Rep team) in the 1950 McKechnie Cup against the UBC varsity team.

Mable and Bill moved to Toronto after graduation to work, and then returned to Vancouver. In the later years of his career he worked for Canada Man Power and the Worker’s Compensation Board of BC. He was an avid reader of history all his life, and his enthusiasm for learning and sport was passed on to his sons.

In his retirement he did a meticulous genealogy of his family, read, walked, and “worked around the house” as he was fond of calling it. He lived happily at home until the last few weeks of his life. In hospital, struggling with the demands of a fractured pelvis, he maintained his sense of humour and a ready contagious smile.

He was one of those who served, and in his passing will be greatly missed.

A Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 pm on Sunday, November 4, 2012 at Ocean View Funeral Home, 4000 Imperial Street, Burnaby.