MacCoubrey Funeral Home
30 King St. E., Cobourg
St. Peter's Anglican Church
240 College St., Cobourg
St. Peter's Anglican Church
240 College St., Cobourg
This obituary is protected by copyright by MacCoubrey Funeral Home Limited. Proudly serving Northumberland County in the province of Ontario, Canada. All rights reserved.
Gary passed away peacefully at Ed’s House on December 25, 2024 surrounded by his family. Gary leaves behind his loving wife Nancy (nee McDonald) of 60 years. Beloved father of Sean (Jeanne) of Cobourg, Susan of Belleville, Julie of Cobourg and his dog Sammy Thomas. Cherished Papa to Ryan Haydon, Ellen Thomas (Riley), Greg Thomas (Megan), Austin Roberts (Sara) and Michael Perry. He is predeceased by his parents Wib & Peg Thomas and survived by his sister Brenda Ronsky of Kingston and his brother Rick Thomas of Kansas City.
Gary graduated from Queen’s University in 1963 and immediately took a job teaching in Brockville. Shortly after being married in 1964, Gary & Nancy moved to Belleville where they spent the remainder of their working years. Gary was the Geography department head at Centennial Secondary School and had brief forays with the Hastings County Board of Education and OSSTF. Certified as a school principal, his love for his students kept him in the classroom where he had a strong belief that he could have a positive impact on most of the “kids” there. There were always groups of students in his home and cottage. One of his students became a lifelong friend and spent time together in recent days before he passed.
While on a canoe trip with his students in North Frontenac, Gary marveled at the natural beauty of the Canadian Shield. After a short portage, they entered Kashwakamak Lake and there began 30 years of family memories and special times which are still carried out today. This also allowed dad and mom to spend their retirement years in Mesa, Arizona, fostering another culture of loving friendships and family memories.
Gary always loved a party! He could always be found at a card table, dancing up a storm, or right in the middle of whatever shenanigans were happening. He lived for these times and has many friends, friends turned to family and countless memories for kids to reminisce about and have a laugh.
Gary, Dad, Papa was the consummate father. He had a very deep love of his children and grandchildren. Dad was always considerate of others and was a constant presence at hockey, soccer, baseball games, horse shows, dance recitals and ringing the chimes at St. Peters Church or wherever his kids/grandkids passions led him.
A visitation will be held at MacCoubrey Funeral Home 30 King St. E., Cobourg, on Friday January 3, 2025 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm, and at St. Peter’s Anglican Church 240 College St., Cobourg, on Saturday January 4, 2025 from 10:30 to 11:30 am. A service will be held in the church at 11:30 am. A reception will follow in the church auditorium. If desired, memorial donations may be made to St. Peter’s Anglican Church.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Nancy , Sending sympathy to you and your family. I am leaving a donation at St. Peter's Church in Gary's memory. Take care. Most sincerely, Carol Lawrence garey'
We are so sorry for your loss Sean and Jeanne and family . The Voycey’s
Nancy and family Barb and I offer our sincere condolences on the passing of Gary. In time, may you savour the many wonderful memories of a life well lived.
Julie, Michael, Sean and families....so sorry for the loss of your dad/papa...we will remember him always smiling and always cheerful to talk to when out and about walking Sammy with Marlie !!!!
My deepest condolences to all the family. Such a kind and sweet man will be greatly missed.
Dear Julie and Michael and family, I will remember the twinkle in his eye and joy of his smile. Hugs to you both, your neighbour, Catherine
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
So sorry to hear about Gary, Nancy…you have been together since high school, forever ago…I have been ill myself recently and won’t be able to make the visitation or funeral, but you are in my thoughts…I know the next months will be oh, so difficult and lonely…you are fortunate your family is close by and supportive, but I know it will still be difficult…but remember grade 10, and the many parties and allow yourself to smile… Sincerely, Jane McCaig
Our sincere condolences to Nancy and the entire Thomas family. We will miss Gary’s friendly smile and personality, but will always have great memories to recall from over the years. You are all in our thoughts and prayers. May Gary rest in peace.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
A donation will be made in Gary’s name to St. Peter’s Anglican church .
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
We will both remember Gary’s gracious smile, welcoming us to the church and the bell tower. Such a lovely man, full of warmth and support. We will miss him.
Julie and family so sorry for loss we are thinking of you all
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Gary was such a lovely man, a true gem of a human. Always smiling, enthusiastic and interested; he will be missed. My condolences to everyone who loved him.
Dear Nancy and your entire family; We were so sad to learn of Gary’s passing. Our memories go way back to our student days at CDCI. We will miss seeing him at church and listening to the bells as he rang them. Know you are in our thoughts and prayers during this tough time. Art and Nancy
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
My sincerest condolences to the Thomas family. I was very fortunate to have had Gary as a part my life. He was an great man, and loyal friend. He will be missed by all.
Sean, Julie and family. Sorry to hear of your loss. Our condolences to your family.
Deepest Sympathy to the Thomas Family for your loss.
I will always remember Gary working in his garden. He was determined to make it a beautifull Oasis for himself & Nancy to enjoy. He did things his way, in a good way. I will miss him dearly. My sincere condolences to Nancy, his family, & all who loved him.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Sorry to hear about your loss Sean and Julie. my condolences to you and your family
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Sean, Julie and family. So sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
So sorry for the loss of your husband.
So many happy memories. Our tight family has lost another gem of a person. Love you all and sending you the tightest and longest of hugs over the long miles. Sarah xo
Thinking of your whole family during this tough time. Sending our condolences ❤️
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
So sorry to hear of Gary's passing. He was a very important member of St. Peter's and will be sadly missed by all who knew him. My sincere condolences to all the Thomas family.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Deep condolences to the entire Thomas family ~ your loss will be felt deep in your hearts and in those of everyone who knew and loved Gary. Lean on each other for strength and support during this difficult time. Love to all ❤️
Dear Nancy, our sincere condolences to you and your family. Gary was such a wonderful guy who touched many hearts and will leave many fond memories with everyone who was fortunate to know him.
Nancy and family: Sorry to learn of Gary passing on, a friend for many years. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.
Dear Nancy , Julie, Michael and the Thomas family, We were very saddened to hear of Gary's passing. It was always enjoyable visiting with him when we walked by the house or him and Sammy when they were out for their walk. The neighborhood will never be the same.
Dear Nancy, Henry and I send our deepest condolences to you and your family. We were so sorry to hear of Gary's passing. He was a lovely man and you will miss him. You will have happy memories that you and the family will share. Judy and Henry Knight
Henry and I send our deepest condolences to you all. We thought Gary was a wonderful man. We loved to have a chat each week at St. Peter's with Gary and Nancy before the service. It was so nice to hear the bells that he would ring. Again, our deepest sympathy to you all. You will have many happy memories. Judy and Henry Knight
Nancy and family. Our deepest sympathy to all of you. We have so many happy memories of Gary in the early years and more recently the times we spent together in Phoenix. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sean - our condolences to you and your family.
My condolences to the Thomas family. Marion (Neill) Switzer
thinking of the Thomas family . He was a great man and will be missed by all
Nancy, Sean, Jeanne, Julie, Susan and all the family: I am so sorry for your loss of a dear husband, father and Popa. I know he enjoyed coming to the farm with Sammy to spend time. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. You will have so many wonderful memories to share and cherish.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Sincere condolences on the passing of Gary. Such a wonderful, kind hearted gentleman. Very grateful for the wonderful friendship he had with my parents and the good times they shared. May you find comfort in sharing many fond memories with family and friends. He will be missed.
Nancy,Everil & I send you heartfelt condolences. Gary always had a sparkle in his eyes. He will be missed. Bill & Everil
Nancy, Sincerest sympathy to you and all the family. Gary was a wonderful individual, always had a smile and a caring attitude, he will be missed.
Mr. Thomas has always holds a special place in my high school memories. Four years of Geography with this wonderful man taught me about passion, care, curiosity. Sending my sincere condolences to Julie and the whole family. May you find solace in the cherished memories you share.
Sean and Thomas family. So sorry to hear about your loss. Our sincere condolences.
We knew Gary too briefly. But remember our visit to Mesa in Arizona. Those must have been the good old days. My priviledge to know you and your family Gary. Ken
So very sorry for the passing of Gary, thinking of you Nancy, Sean, Julie, Susan and Rick.
Gary was A True Gentleman. His Family is A True Testament to his Leadership of Love. Our sincere condolences Julie, Sean & Family Lynda & Moe
Our deepest condolences to the Thomas family. Our thoughts are with you in this time of sorrow.
Julie and the entire Thomas family, I was saddened to hear of Gary's passing, I had the pleasure of playing golf, with Gary and Sam Oliver, a number of times. My condolences
Sean & Jean I was sorry to hear of your Dad`s passing ,My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time.
Dear Nancy &family I was so sorry to hear of Gary’s passing. I met Gary & Nancy two years ago during our trip to Portugal and Spain. We all enjoyed our time together a happy memory. Hugs
Our deepest sympathy to the Thomas family. May all your memories bring you comfort. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
A Memorial Donation has been made to the following charity:
Breast Cancer Research & Education Fund
I was so sorry to hear about Gary’s passing. He was truly a one-of-a-kind character, and I will always remember how he made me feel so welcome every time we were together. We shared some great times, and I’ll hold those memories close to my heart. My sincerest condolences to Nancy, Julie, Michael and the family. Please know that you are in my thoughts during this difficult time. If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to reach out. With deepest sympathy, Morene.
Dear Nancy and family, I was very sad to learn of Gary’s passing. You have both been the most wonderful neighbours. Gary was always helpful, kind with a smile on his face. I loved waking up seeing him putter in the garden. It was always so pristine. Not a leaf out of place. Gary will be missed by many including me. Sending love during this difficult time. Sally
Sending sincere condolences to your family at this difficult time. Another one gone from our old neighbour hood. Cherish all the good memories and hold them close to your hearts. Wendy and Rick
Dear Nancy, so sorry to hear of Gary’s passing. We have some wonderful memories of you both over the years. Our condolences to you and the Thomas family. Murray & Lesley
Nancy and family-So very sorry to hear of Gary's passing. We have many fond memories of times together with Jim and Mary and you and Gary. May happy memories carry you through this difficult time. Memories are the legacy of love.
Sincere condolences to the Thomas family. May your precious memories of this wonderful man ease your sorrow. Blessings.
We always enjoyed our time with Gary when he was taking part in a function at St. George's, Grafton.
Had a lot of good times with Gary, playing golf 🏌️♀️, playing euchre, doing dinners, having a few drinks with Nancy and friends. I will miss him. Gary was dedicated to, Nancy, Sean, Julie, Susan and family. You all have great memories and my thoughts are with you.
Dear Nancy, Julie &Family My Deepest Condolences to you all. May all your special memories bring you comfort. Thinking of you all at this difficult time. ❤️
Dear Nancy and Family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very difficult time. Treasure the memories.
So Sorry to hear the passing of Gary. Sending our condolences to the family at this difficult time. Joe Ferguson and Cindy Greer
Well "big brother" I will miss you dearly. Thank you for your love and caring over the last seventy years. God bless!
My sincere condolences to Nancy & all the family! I have so many memories of Gary in our high school years! I was glad to see him after many years, again to reminisce our high school years! He was always the life of a party! He certainly will be missed at St Peter’s Church! May all the happy memories help you through at this time! Eleanor Wilson
Dear Nancy & family: Physical death is universal, but it does not mean that we will find it easy to say goodbye to our loved ones. We will miss Gary on this side of heaven. But nobody can take away our memories of him. We will see Nancy after our return from Nova Scotia. May God’s Word comfort the Thomas family!
What a loss! Gary was a man of faith who smiled through thick and thin. I will miss him in his usual seat at St. Peter’s and with his welcoming smile. Nancy, prayers for you in this journey of grief.
Dear Nancy and family, so sorry to hear about the loss of Gary. My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this sad time Cherish your memories. Sincerely Linda F.
Aunt Nancy,Sean,Susan ,Julie and family, Our deepest condolences to each of you . Uncle Gary was truly an amazing man. His smile and huge hugs were like no others. We will miss you. RIP Uncle Gary
So sorry to hear of your dads passing Sean. Always enjoyed meeting him and having a great conversation at Thomas's. He was always friendly and ready to reminisce about old times at the dealership. He will be missed.
Mr. Thomas was a wonderful teacher - a favourite of many students. I have fond memories of ski trips to Tremblant and laughs in class. My condolences to his family.
Gary was always so kind and cheerful. He will be missed at St. Peters where he loved to ring the chimes. Our deepest sympathy to all the family.
So sorry for your loss. Wishing you comfort and peace during this incredibly tough time.
We will miss Gary greatly. Such a kind, thoughtful, and gentle man! Our thoughts and prayers for Nancy and the family.
Julie & Family, we are so very sorry for your loss. Your Dad was an outstanding person who will be fondly remembered. May he RIP