Thomas Cotton

Thomas ‘Tom’ Cotton left this world to be with God at the age of 71 on May 22, 2021 in Chonburi, Thailand. He was in the loving presence, both virtual and actual, of his family and friends.

Tom was a curious man, full of love for the small joys in life. In his youth, he fought in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Marines, earning a Purple Heart during his service. He went on to study accounting at Trinity College in the University of Toronto, after which he was able to combine his work as a chartered accountant with his love of travelling and adventure.

In his retirement, he nurtured all his hobbies and took care of those around him. He travelled the world learning about new cultures and going on safaris. He complemented his travels by expanding his library with history books. He cultivated friendships at his golf club, perfected his chicken pot pie crust, and learned the songs of birds. He never forgot to be generous, supporting not only his family, but also local charities investing in the education of less fortunate children.

He was married and had a daughter. He is described as the ‘best husband and father’, and an irreplaceable son and brother. He shared his love of travelling and cooking with his daughter, embarking on many road trip adventures exploring the Scottish Highlands, ancient Greek ruins, and the Cabot trail to name a few. He taught her how to make the best chicken pot pie and how to speak with birds (a work in progress).

Tom will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He will be remembered as the man that did headstands on the golf course at the age of 69, who danced to Joan Baez in the kitchen cooking Christmas dinner with his daughter, and who always stopped to smell the flowers and chase after snakes.

In lieu of flowers, donations to YWCA World would be appreciated (https://www.worldywca.org/).