LAURIE THOMPSON

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LAURIE THOMPSON On Friday, February 24, 2006, Laurie Thompson passed away at the age of 76. He was surrounded by his family in Hawaii, a place he so loved. He is survived by Sophie, his wife of 53 years; his sons, Syd (Janet) and Jeff (Val); and his grandchildren, Matthew, Zachary, Amanda, David and Sara. He is also survived by his brothers, Henry and Myer (and his sister Rose). He was predeceased by his parents Sol and Ida. In attempting to paint a portrait of Laurie, it is necessary to begin with what was most essential about him his heart. To put it simply, Laurie had the biggest heart. It overflowed with courage, passion, pride, generosity, and love which reached beyond the limits of his skin and filled us all. It was his magnificent heart which most defined him in life and for which he will be most remembered in death. It is the reason that our hearts lie broken. Laurie grew up in the North End of Winnipeg and left home to pursue a career as a professional hockey player at the age of 15. He played in every Junior Hockey League in Canada before being drafted by the New York Rangers and later traded to the Montreal Canadiens. At 5'11 and a slight 170 lbs, it was certainly his determined and courageous heart which allowed him to succeed on the ice. It is that same courage and determination with him from his earliest days washing cars and replacing tires which also allowed him to succeed in the business world as an owner and entrepreneur. In 1951, Laurie opened a fruit store on Stella Ave, in the years since his sons Syd and Jeff came to join him as partners. Together they watched it grow into the thriving business it is today. Few can claim to have worked side-by-side with their best friends for 35 years, and fewer still can call their best friends their sons. He was so proud of that. Perhaps the quality of his heart most familiar to so many was his generosity. He gave often, he gave gratuitously, and most importantly he gave quietly; for in his words: if you brag about good deeds, they don't count. Most of all it was the depth and abundance of love in his heart which made him so easy to love during his lifetime and which makes him an undying presence beyond it. He had too much love in his heart to ever truly be gone. His love will be with us forever. Laurie's memory will be cherished by all who were fortunate enough to have known him. Laurie's funeral took place on March 1 at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and he was laid to rest at Rosh Pina Cemetery. Pallbearers were his grandsons, Matthew and Zachary Thompson, Neil Stedman, Hersh Odwak, Harry Odwak, Lyle Silverman, Paul Wright and Marshall Gobuty. Honorary pallbearers were: Marshall Koffman, Jim Zipursky, Russ Henry and Jeff Lowenstein. Donations can be made in memory of Laurie to the Thompson Family Foundation Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba (202-477-7525) or to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba - Children's Asthma Education Centre CE501 - 840 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3E 1S1.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 09, 2006