INNISFAIL - To those many of us who knew “Tom” as the “front of house man” in the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion we are left with a lasting impression of a quiet, unassuming, and humble man.
Those that got to know him well would however appreciate him for his endless story telling, good humour and the affable and modest manner in which he would share his life’s experiences.
Thomas Wayne Cook was born on Oct. 17, 1943 in London, Ont. and sadly passed away on Oct. 2, 2020 at the age of 76.
When he was 18 he completed his Canadian Forces basic military training at Wolseley Barracks, in London, Ont.. After qualification he was assigned to 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment at Camp Ipperwash in southwest Ontario.
The Canadian Airborne Regiment (disbanded in 1995), having formed at CFB Griesbach in Edmonton in 1968, found Tom as one of its earliest volunteer members.
Having trained for infantry airborne operations, Tom went on to become an Instructor in the Parachute Training Wing of the Air Support Operational Training Unit.
More notably as an original member of the Canadian Forces Parachute Team, the “Skyhawks”, Tom not only took part in parachuting displays but developed a passion for precision accuracy landing competitions, winning 1st place in the Alberta Parachuting Championship of 1975 and achieving 2nd place in the Western Canada Parachute Championship of 1971.
In 1974 Tom saw Canadian peacekeeping involvement in Cyprus as a result of a Turkish military invasion of the island. This action was in response to a combined Greek Army and nationalist Greek Cypriot coup d’état that took control of the island in a bid to unite what was then an independent republic (free of British rule since 1960) into being a state of the country of Greece.
International intervention by the United Nations was required in order to protect the 20 per cent of the population that were Turkish Cypriots.
During this time the Canadian Airborne Regiment lost two men with 30 wounded while attempting to de-escalate the bitter conflict that still continues to divide the island. As a peacekeeper in Cyprus during that operation Tom was awarded the NATO Special Service Medal, Peacekeeping Medal and UN Medal.
Having completed more than 15 years service Tom was honourably discharged from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1976. From that same year until 1980 he served as a guard and a case supervisor at the Bowden Institute.
Tom then found employment in the oil and gas pipeline industry, and later from 2009 to the present he worked as a front desk service person at the Royal Canadian Legion and Innisfail. He never returned to his past roots in Ontario.
Tom’s private life was known but to a few. Like so many, there was a stage in his life where he experienced a state of dysfunction and disorder. He talked about not knowing what had happened during that period of upheaval, confusion, and conflict. However, he was a survivor and found solace in a special group of friends vowing that he would continue in his reformation until he met God face to face.
Fiercely independent and headstrong, he lived an uncompromising life and didn’t care much for those who fussed over him. However, his ever-present smile, good manner and modest demeanour far outweighed any ill tempered or obstinate side to his character.
His desire was to simply live a simple, modest life and he would forever recite tales of his favourite pastimes of fishing and hunting. Much later in life he shared his personal thoughts with only a few close friends.
During the funeral service one close friend ended his eulogy to Tom by quoting the inspirational words of J.R.Tolkien, a wonderful and befitting tribute, meaning that those who appear to be nomadic and somewhat lacking stability in life are not necessarily without purpose – they are not lost.
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
All those we meet in life leave a permanent mark on our own lives and experiences in some way, either great or small. Tom’s memory lives on.
- With files from Chuck Blanchard
