Thomas Bruce Stanley

Tom took on life with gusto, his motto was to make the best of every situation, and he had many situations! His parents loved him and as first-time parents even doted on him. His father gathered him in his arms when he came home from work and his mother made sure he was safe and loved. His sister Dorothy and then brother Bob arrived in that circle shortly after.

Tom had many turning points in his life, his children Brent and Mitchell being his primary focus, he loved his boys, was so proud of them, always wanting the best for them. However, his polio as a child and a near fatal car accident in his twenties affected the rest of his life as did several near-death experiences in each decade from the 1990’s to 2022. Not that he let that stop him. No hip joint for 30 years after his accident didn’t stop him either!

Tom lived in three countries and the three western provinces in Canada, his favourite place to live was Australia but that was too far from family, so that bond called him back to Canada, closer to family. Tom was a family man, he made sure that his children, Brent and Mitchell knew their grandparents, aunts and uncles. Every Christmas he would drive half the night to keep the family connected, spending time with his parents and in-laws for the sake of his love and respect for his parents, children and their heritage.

His varied teaching career likely shaped his appreciation for history and knowing who one is and how they became that way. Tom taught High School Social Studies, Special Ed and Art, line-coached Football and coached boys and girls High School Basketball teams then moved to elementary school. He absolutely loved teaching Grade 3 and helping young children experience a joy for story books in Elementary School.

He also enjoyed drama and was a great actor…he and Eva with friends started three drama groups, Athabasca Players, Mountain Players and Murder Ink. Tom was such a good sport! As he looked at retiring, he ran for town council and enjoyed politics, piqued especially after meeting and hearing Grant Notley debating during his High School social class in Bow Island. He also had a great passion for the Lions Club with his Dad and Rotary Club in Fernie. He was honoured to be a Paul Harris Fellow.

Tom married two women in his life. Pat was his high school sweetheart and he managed to talk her into marriage and moving to Australia. After several decades Tom and Pat parted ways and in time Tom married his second wife, Eva. They lived pretty much happily ever after. He also accepted her children, Elizabeth and Michael unconditionally as well as all seven of their grandchildren. Tom, newly retired, followed Eva when she went back to school and engaged himself within her work experiences. He was appreciated and welcomed in each community they lived.

When it was apparent that Tom’s car accident affected his frontal lobe and Alzheimer’s Disease was his future, Eva retired early, and they moved to Calgary to be closer to their children and beloved grandchildren. Tom’s family would like to thank Calgary Home Care and Airdrie Care Community for their tender love and support while Tom was in their care. Tom will always rest in our hearts and we are grateful for his gentle soul in our lives.