Thomas Towns

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and so many more things to so many more people, Tom passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 8 at his home at Hogarth Manor. Tom was predeceased by his wife Evelyn (Sitch) Towns (2010), daughter Lee (Towns) Angus (2012), infant granddaughter Rebecca Angus (1973), grandson Adam Angus (2005), and sister Edith (Towns) Kidson (2011). Tom is survived by his son Calvin Towns (Maureen), son-in-law Ed Dale, granddaughters Sue Topp (Dennis), Katherine Martin, Gillian Robinson (Michael), Amelia Towns, and great grandchildren Ashley, Kelsey and Nicholas DeGrazia, Jessica and Matthew Topp, Calvin and Gabriella Martin, and Cole and Asher Robinson. He was loved and cared for by niece Gwen Dimini and family friend Shirley Nybohm, who provided tremendous comfort to Tom while at Hogarth and for which the family is profoundly grateful. 

Tom was born in Kenora, Ontario in 1926 to Wilbert (Web) and Kathleen (Kay) (Sinclair) Towns. He was joined by his sister Edith two years later. The family moved to Port Arthur in 1927 and Tom did his schooling in Port Arthur. He left high school at age 16 to work at a variety of jobs until settling into corrections. He worked for the provincial government for 35 years, his last posting being as office manager at the prison farm on Highway 61. He retired in 1982. He always had a wealth of stories from his working years, covering not only the antics of some of the inmates but of his co-workers and himself. 

Tom married Evelyn Sitch in 1949. They shared 61 years of marriage before Evelyn’s death in 2010. Tom was above all else a family man, devoted to Evelyn, and a loving and caring father to Lee and Cal. He was a loving son to Web and Kay, providing care and support in their later years, until Kay moved to Pickering to live with daughter Edith and her husband Frank. 

Tom was truly one of the good ones. He was the kind of person that is the backbone of any community - kind, hard-working, always asking what he could do for others. He had a wonderful sense of humour and always enjoyed a joke - and a beer. He loved to sing and delighted his grandchildren with songs from the 40’s and 50’s. Tom will be profoundly missed by all who knew and loved him. Rest in peace Tom, Dad, Grandad, Uncle, Great-Grandad, Friend. 

Funeral will be held at St. Thomas Anglican Church (1400 Edward St. S) on Monday, December 17th at 11 AM.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or a charity of your choice.