11 April 1937 to 16 September 2025
Just a brief year ago Brian Pawson of Thunder Bay passed away peacefully at the age of 88, at home, sitting in the sunshine in his garden, on 16 September 2025, with his family wife Irene, son David, daughter Suzanne and her husband Dennis, by his side. Brian is very much missed by his family every day.
Brian was born in Yorkshire, England. He came to Canada with his wife Irene and young family in 1965 on a three-year contract to work at Hawker Siddeley Canada, Can-Car Division, as a professional mechanical engineer. Somehow that three years extended into sixty but, despite travelling this vast continent of Canada & North America, along with business trips to many world-wide countries, he never forgot his roots and that he was first and foremost a Yorkshireman.
According to Brian’s wishes, no funeral was held and he was cremated, with his ashes to be scattered in Yorkshire the next time the family returns to England. Funeral arrangements were made by Northwest Funeral Alternative Inc.
Over the years Brian was active in many sports including soccer, cycling, hiking up Austrian mountains, skiing, curling, golfing at the Fort William Golf Club, skydiving and sailing in our Thunder Bay harbour. He was a talented craftsman in woodwork and carving, designing and making furniture for the home, building a cedar strip canoe and kayak. During his retirement days he constructed a summer home for our friends at Oliver Lake, which started out as a simple dock to swim from. And not forgetting the tranquil garden at home to relax in, which was continually being modified.
During his sailing years he served terms as Treasurer of the Lakehead Sailing Club and then the Thunder Bay Yacht Club. Volunteering during his downhill skiing days when our kids started racing in the Nancy Greene Ski League in the early seventies to nineties at Loch Lomond Ski Area become much more involved. This was the early days of moving from parents standing on the hill waving flags to start the racer and hand-held stop watches at the finish line in sub-zero temperatures to the electronic time systems we have today. Wiring cable had to be dragged up the hills, wooden start and finish huts constructed, etc. Parents and friends of the Norwesters Alpine Club (previously Loch Lomond Alpiners) at Loch Lomond all volunteered, and Brian was one of them. He also continued to serve for many years as Treasurer on their Board of Directors when the club became incorporated as a not-for-profit organization.
On behalf of Brian, his family would like to extend his and their deep appreciation to the medical team that did their best to provide him with the care he needed from when he was first diagnosed with heart problems and latterly as his health rapidly declined: Dr. Christopher Lai of Curans Health Centre, Dr. James Stamler, NP Carolan Thayer, Thunder Bay Regional Hospital Dr. Taha and the Nursing Staff on Ward 3A, Thunder Bay Regional Hospital Palliative Care Team, Angie Benincasa, Ontario Health at Home, and Bayshore Home Health.
Condolences may be made through www.nwfainc.com
