January 12th, 1933 - September 15th, 2023
Passed away in his 91st year at Wellington Terrace LTC Home in Fergus after a brief illness on Friday, September 15, 2023.
Tom was the eldest child of four born to Charlie and Betty, immigrants from Scotland, who settled in Toronto's Regent Park. He met Adrienne at a Dufferin High School dance and the two were married on December 12,1953.
Tom left school early and got a job at Dominion Paper Box as a printer. He then made the switch to become a life insurance salesman, a position he held for several decades. During that time, however, he had a brief stint as a bus driver for the TTC. That didn't go as well since he took out the side mirror of at least one bus.
But Tom found his most rewarding work in jobs at the St. Lawrence Market on Saturdays. He first worked in the north market selling first bread and then cheese. His true calling came when he began to sell Kozlik's Mustard in the south market.
He eagerly awoke at 4 a.m. to arrive for a 7 o'clock start even after he moved from Toronto to Belwood, just east of Fergus, Ontario. At the mustard stand, Tom had an enthusiastic greeting for all passersby, offering samples of mustard and grilled peameal bacon to any and all. He'd even suggest which mustard to use for various recipes (even though his family knew the only things he could cook were toast and omelettes).
Tom took up running after he quit smoking cigarettes and became an active member of the Metro Toronto Fitness Club. The group met Sunday mornings at Sunnybrook Park for fun runs, races and friendship. His running career included completing two marathons and a one-time appearance at the Canadian Masters Track and Field Championships. After his knees wore out a bit, Tom turned to cycling. With a group of friends, he went annually to New York state's Finger Lakes for some intense riding and camaraderie.
Tom moved to Wellington Terrace LTC Home after suffering a stroke in 2011 . He enjoyed many of the activities there, especially the bike rides, cart rides and movie afternoons. Our sincere gratitude goes out to the wonderful staff and volunteers at the Terrace for the exceptional care and kindness given to Tom during his stay.
Friends and family will fondly recall Tom's friendly, outgoing nature. He met lots of people during his life and became friends with most of them. He was quick to jump on the phone to share a quiz or interesting stories he'd found in the newspaper, on tv, or on the radio. He liked Monty Python, Peter Sellers, all styles of music and movies, and could really 'cut a rug'.
He'll be remembered always with much love by his wife, Adrienne, daughter, Cindy (Rick), brother, Roy, grandchildren Andrea (Alex), Erin (Phil), and great-grandchildren Aubrey, Georgia and Fred. www.grahamgiddyfh.com
