Obituary of Dave Thompson

The family of David Thompson, beloved husband of Carole and formerly of the Kelliher District, sadly announce his passing on Friday, September 22, 2023. He was 91 years of age.

The Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, September 28th at 2:00 from St. Margaret Mary RC Church (formerly known as St. Vladmir's Ukrainian Catholic Church) in Kelliher with Rev. Brian Mee officiating.

The interment for family and close friends will follow in Kelliher Memorial Gardens.

Memorial donations may be made to the Legion (click here) or to the Kelliher Arena (memoriam e-transfer to Village of Kelliher at villageofkelliher@sasktel.net.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Bailey's Funeral Home, Ituna.

David (Dave) Thompson of Kelliher, Saskatchewan passed away peacefully in Saskatoon on September 22^nd at the age of 91 years. A committed farmer to the end, his passing was only hours after the last of the 2023 harvest was in the bin.

Dave was born on the family farm south of Kelliher on January 26, 1932; one of six children of Hiram and Elizabeth (Sanders) Thompson. Dave attended the country school on Garnock road to Grade 8, when he quit to help on the family farm. In spite of not having a high school diploma, he attended the School of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan and graduated with his diploma in 1954.

Dave was always curious about people, politics and places, and loved to hear and tell a good story. As a young man, he spent time living and working on the dockyards in Vancouver; then in 1951 he bought land near where he was born, which would be the foundation of his own industry. In 1960, Dave married Carole Church who would become his lifelong champion and partner, and with whom he would build a successful life and legacy.

Dave’s life was always centred around people and giving back to the community; judging 4H beef, serving as Reeve for the Rural Municipality of Kellross, and coaching hockey where he was fondly remembered as “Super Dave” by his players for many years to come. Dave’s spare time was spent serving on countless community and provincial committees in agriculture and other areas, and his hard work was recognized in numerous awards and honours over the years including the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service to Rural Saskatchewan in 2005.

In 1993, Dave’s son Duane moved to the farm with his wife Paula, and Dave began to turn his attention to things like enjoying coffee row and being general gofer for the farm operation. One area of regret for Dave was the fact that he had never completed high school and so, at the age of 80, he went back to school to earn his general equivalency degree. It was not an easy undertaking, but with characteristic determination and drive to succeed, he earned his Grade 12 with the excellent support of the teaching team at Parkland College in Fort Qu’Appelle. Dave was pretty tickled when Premier Brad Wall mentioned this accomplishment in “his Facebook.”

Dave’s greatest joy was the farm, and an endless source of pride was to see the results of his hard work and success move into the capable hands of the next generations and continue to grow. Fittingly, his last excursion in August 2023 was to see his grandson married in the yard of the home that he and Carole built together so many years before.

Dave is predeceased by his brother Robert, and brothers-in-law Robert, Peter and Jack. He is lovingly remembered by Carole, his wife of 63 years; his four children: Chris (Sheila), Heather (Ted), Duane (Paula) and Kate (Chris); his seven grandchildren: Cole (Michelle), David (Olivia), Shelagh (Keith), Holly (Devin), Rachelle (Curt), Adam (Erin), and Tyson (Nicole); five great grandchildren: Ty, Leni, Tate, Taryn, Brynlee, and Zeny; his siblings Joan, Elaine, Kathleen, Ronnie (Birdie), sister in law Beverly, and brother in law Don (Wendy); and numerous nieces, nephews, and countless friends across the province and the country.

A celebration of life will be held Thursday September 28, 2:00 pm, at St Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kelliher. Interment will be at Kelliher Memorial Gardens, followed by a reception and tea at Kelliher School gymnasium.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the care team at Warm and Cozy; the doctors, nurses, and care givers of the Saskatoon Palliative Home Care team; and the palliative care team at St Paul’s Hospital of Saskatoon, for the exceptional care received by Dave and the whole family in his final days. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dave’s memory may be made to the Legion (https://legion.ca/donations) or to the Kelliher Arena (memoriam e-transfer to Village of Kelliher at villageofkelliher@sasktel.net.)