Stanley Michael Thompson
1950 — 2016
Stan passed away peacefully on May 29, 2016 at the age of 65 after a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He will be forever loved and remembered by his partner of 17 years, Brenda Ochosky, his children Stephanie, Chad and Erin (Dan McCrank) and his two young grandchildren Sophie and Ava.
He is survived by his siblings Geraldine, Maureen (Scott Turnbull), Vickie, Eugene (Jennifer Gaye), Barb, Maria (Tim Bekolay) and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and great nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father Robert (Barney), his mother Margaret and his brother Dale.
Stan was born in Davidson, Sask., and raised on the farm until he was nine years old and then his family moved to the Town of Davidson. After graduating from Davidson High School he attended the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and worked on a potato farm in Outlook, Sask. He had always dreamed of being a farmer.
In 1972, he married Isla (nee Riecken), moved to Calgary, Alta., and worked for the Gulf Oil Refinery. He had season tickets to watch the Calgary Flames and attended many games with his long-time, best friend and neighbour, Howard Robson. Stan and Isla began raising three amazingly intelligent and exuberant children there. The prairies called to Stan and he moved the family to Saskatoon in the early 1980s. He began working as a welder with the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS) at the mine in Allan, Sask. Stan and Isla parted in 1998. Brenda came along in 1999 and they developed a friendship over their mutual interest in horses which later blossomed into a relationship that took them on many adventures. They attended many Saskatchewan Amateur Field Trial Association (SAFTA) field trials, took annual summer wagon treks with horses and a wall tent in the Foam Lake/Wadena area and along the river near Kyle, Sask. They loved travelling together to the Edmonton Rodeo and Regina Agricultural Fair and also travelled to Mexico, Las Vegas, Lake Havasu and Phoenix. Going anywhere with Stan was always an exciting experience, even if it was only 50 miles away. Stan bought a cabin at Etters Beach on Last Mountain Lake in 2001 and Brenda and Stan then divided their time between the lake and their other adventures. He was an avid golfer and played many rounds at the Imperial, Sask., golf course. Stan was planning to spend winters in a warmer climate and work on improving his golf game. Stan retired from PCS Allan on Sept. 30, 2015.
Stan was an outdoorsman through and through, an adventurist, hunter, athlete and champion trap and skeet shooter. He raised and trained pointing dogs and was a horseman. He played hockey and ball in his early years in Davidson, played ball with the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets (Western Major Baseball League), curled for many years at the Sutherland Rink in Saskatoon, was a member and past president of the Saskatoon Gun Dog Club/North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, and was also a member of the Saskatoon Gun Club, the Saskatchewan Amateur Field Trial Association, the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation and Ducks Unlimited.
Stan had a keen sense of humour, a warm charming smile, an infectious laugh and the wheels never stopped turning in his mind. He thoroughly enjoyed a good joke. He was a great storyteller and loved reading, but only historical books. “If it isn’t true to life, then I don’t want to read or watch it” were his exact words. He watched the History Channel avidly and piqued the interest of those around him in that direction. He had an interest in classic cars and restored his own 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1. He loved watching the Barrett Jackson Auctions, Dream Car Mechanics and Monster Garage. He so enjoyed birds, flowers and growing some juicy tomatoes. His other interests included antiques, art, boating, sailing, fishing, trains, planes, and anything wildlife related. He was always looking for the next treasure whatever it may have been as he was a collector — of everything and anything that sparked his interest. In the past few years he also delved into his Métis ancestry and collected items related to his heritage with pride. He enjoyed a well-deserved Caesar (his were the best) when he permitted himself time to stand still for at least two minutes. He never sat around long. He was always working on something or lending a hand to friends and neighbours. He never went anywhere without meeting a new friend and he was always eager to chat.
A Celebration of Stan’s Life will be held on Friday, June 10, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. at the Town Hall in Davidson, Sask. In lieu of flowers donations in Stan’s memory may be made to the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Communities in Bloom Davidson or a charity of your choice. The family thanks the staff of St. Paul’s Hospital Palliative Care Unit and the wonderful doctors and nurses at Royal University Hospital (especially Jodi and Dr. John Shaw) for their excellent care. Arrangements are entrusted to Todd Lockwood of Hanson’s Funeral Home in Davidson, Sask.