Douglas Terrence Thompson

Douglas Terrence “Terry” Thompson 

Sunrise – October 22nd, 1938, Vantage, Saskatchewan.    Sunset – July 13th, 2026, Woodstock, Ontario.

           Peacefully, in the loving embrace of his extended family, Terry “moved upstairs”, or perhaps more accurately, he danced his way up the stairs to the strains of Billy Haley & His Comets “When The Saints Go Marching In”, tapping his toes to the beat.

           Born and raised on the family farm in southcentral Saskatchewan, Terry received his BSW from the University of Saskatchewan in 1960, and his MSW from the University of British Columbia in 1965.

           Terry lived life to its fullest, having a vast number of passions, the first of which was family.  He was an avid camper, canoeist, and fisherman.  He was a lover of winter sports, including curling, skating, and cross-country skiing.  He couldn’t resist the sound of big band music or a boogie-woogie beat, with his dance skills frequently attracting an enthusiastic crowd.  He was the consummate planner, problem solver, and DIYer, and he didn’t hesitate to employ those skills in any environment in which he found himself.  He couldn’t resist anything with wheels and spent time in his youth racing a variety of Renaults and many more hours tinkering in the garage with European motors.  Perhaps his proudest “vehicular accomplishment” was the conversion of a 1962 Bluebird school bus which became the family’s mode of transport for vacations throughout North America.

           Terry and his wife, Sally, enjoyed a snowbird lifestyle for the past 27 years, spending winters in their Arizona home and summers first on the farm in Saskatchewan, and then in Woodstock, Ontario.  They enjoyed travel and took several trips abroad, as well as many camping trips with their Air Stream trailer.  They loved to have fun together, taking dance classes and showing off their skills whenever the beat dropped, and playing billiards together for many years.  Their pace slowed in the past few years as Terry’s Parkinson’s advanced, but they never stopped working as a team.

           Terry’s impact on the Canadian Correctional System cannot be understated.  Working first as a child welfare worker in Moose Jaw, SK and a parole officer in Prince Albert, SK, Terry moved to the SK Department of Corrections in 1968, subsequently becoming the head of Corrections for the province between 1971 and 1987, and the Assistant Deputy Minister of Justice until his retirement in 1995.  He went on to serve on Canada’s National Parole Board for an additional eight years.  His strong belief in rehabilitation rather than punishment shaped programs that have become woven into the fabric of Canada’s judicial system, developing and implementing the country’s first fine-option program, allowing individuals to “work off” their fines rather than being sent to jail because of a financial inability to pay.  The program was so successful that it was adopted by virtually all other Canadian provinces, as well as Australia.  He also oversaw the establishment of community-training programs, which allowed inmates day leaves to attend school or to work. It was another Canadian first and further supported his belief that providing individuals with the skills and resources to allow them to be productive members of their community would result in fewer reoffenders.

           Terry was predeceased by his parents, Douglas and Patricia Faith Thompson (nee Cowan), wife Agatha Thompson (nee Trohak), sister Trudy Faith Patterson and her daughter Myla, sister Patricia Ann Paulsen and her son Marcus.  He is lovingly remembered by his wife and partner of 27 years, Sally Thomas, brother Larry Thompson (Bev), sister Shelley Thompson (Fred Gale), daughter Tanya Thompson, her husband Nelson Simard, and their children, Eric Simard (Sarah), Shawn Simard (Stephanie), Nadia Owen-Walker (Mike), and Julia Kozuch (Jarrett), son Dr. Chad Thompson, and his wife Dr. Norma Jo Baker, and their children, Jessica Buckingham and Glenn Sauvé, son-in-law and daughter-in-law Trevor and Audrey Owen, and nine precious great-grandchildren, Olivia, Cole, Kane, Cohen, Nicholas, Malcolm, Ryan, Kiernan, and Ramona, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

          In keeping with Terry’s wishes, his cremated remains will be interred near the Thompson family farm in Saskatchewan at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, and in recognition of the support Terry received over the past decade, please consider a donation to the Parkinson Society of Southwestern Oxford.

Wareing Cremation Services, 225 Norwich Ave., Woodstock, Ontario has been entrusted with Final Arrangements.  Your messages of remembrance and condolence may be shared here at www.wareingcremation.ca