THOMAS (TOM) BERGTHORSON

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THOMAS (TOM) BERGTHORSON Thomas (Tom) Bergthorson, passed away on June 15, 2014, surrounded by his loving family at the Riverview Health Centre, at the age of 71. Tom was born in Gladstone, MB on May 18, 1943 to Dorothy and Oli Bergthorson and was the eldest of five siblings. Tom is survived by his loving wife Peggy and their three daughters Kerri, Coral (Paul) Thompson and Krystal; grandchildren Mandy (Kyle), Devin, Tyler, Dakota, Julia, Brennen and Sydney; great-grandchildren Loki, Ember, Pearl and Odin. He also leaves to mourn his siblings, Judy (Wayne) Eirickson, Doug (Morag) Bergthorson and Loraley (Fred) Bennett; father-in-law Howard Malcolm, along with many brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Dorothy and Oli, sister Tracey, mother-in-law Helen Malcolm, and brother-in-law Allen Catterson. Growing up, Tom's family lived in Langruth, Lundar and Cleveland, OH before settling back in Lundar. In the early years Tom found work at Pool Elevators and later joined Canadian Comstock where he started his career in powerline construction. In 1965 Tom and a few friends from Lundar headed to Chicago, IL where they worked for A. A. Electric building powerline. This is where Tom learned his trade in tension stringing. In 1967, Tom returned home and continued to build powerlines across western Canada working for Comstock until he joined McGregor Construction in 1981, where he remained until retirement in 2008. He had many skills and was known for his expertise as an operator in tension stringing. He loved his work with McGregor and told many stories about the transmission line crew, where he had traveled and the amazing country he was able to see. To many old friends Tom was known as "Big Tom". Despite his large stature he was a gentle, soft-spoken man who led a quiet life. He was a wealth of knowledge and could recite explicit details about history, world events, geography and just how things worked. He loved the outdoors, wildlife and all of nature's beauty. A true Icelander, Tom's passion was fishing - he loved to find all of the good fishing holes in the lakes of Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. Tom was very proud of his Icelandic heritage and was an avid reader of history and the Icelandic Sagas. His book collection of over 1000 books was most cherished. Over the years he enjoyed hunting, TV and movies, curling, cooking and he loved fruit trees and flowers. Tom's family and grandchildren were the center of his life. Most of all he loved adventures out west with his family and loved taking the grandkids to see the sights in Alberta and British Columbia. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2014 at the Lundar Lutheran Church with Pastor Terry Throndson officiating. Interment to follow in the Lundar Municipal Cemetery with lunch to be held in the Lundar Community Hall following the service. Honorary pallbearers will be Tom's grandchildren. A special thank you to Dr. John Peterson and wife Mia at Windsor Park Clinic, the St. Boniface Cardiology Clinic, the Pacemaker Clinic, the Kidney Failure Clinic and the staff at the Riverview Health Centre for exceptional and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tom's memory to the Lundar Lutheran Church, PO Box 216, Lundar, MB R0C 1Y0. Arrangements by: ARNASON FUNERAL HOME Ashern - Lundar 1-204-768-2072 1-866-323-3593

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 24, 2014