Irene Thomson

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Irene Thomson (nee Emberley), aged 86, who left us peacefully on August 13, 2025, at Victoria Village Manor, Barrie, Ontario. Irene was married to Calvin for two months short of 60 years, until his passing in 2018, and was a beloved mother and adored Nana to her son Don and his children Amanda & Dylan; son Robin, daughter-in-law Debra and their children Matthew, his wife Dana and their girls Emma and Charlotte; Taylor, his wife Kyara and their girls Lyla and Noelle (Ellie); and Ryan and his wife Desiree and their baby to come in February 2026; and daughter Sandra (died 2016) and her son Joshua.

Irene was born on June 5, 1939, in Bay de Verde, Newfoundland, and lived a simple life as an only child in this small fishing town with her mother and father - Mary Ann and Ernest Emberley. From childhood Irene’s love of life, love of God, joyful spirit and sense of humour were evident. She often regaled us with stories of both the joys and tribulations of living in northern Newfoundland, noting that when she was born, she was very small and premature and had to be kept in a drawer behind the wood stove for warmth. She was lucky to survive. They never had much, but they worked hard and survived. As she grew, she went to school in a one room schoolhouse, attended Church every Sunday and loved to sing, she enjoyed fishing for her favourite cod tongues with her dad, playing on the cliffs while watching the whales in the bay, visiting with the many relatives and friends who lived in the town, and lived through the long cold winters using the wood stove to heat the entire two-storey house. Her funniest memory was around the use of chamber pots under the bed, that would be frozen by morning - and the worst thing was to have to use the potty during the cold nights!

Life was hard in Bay de Verde and when Irene was 12, her dad moved to Toronto to seek a better job and future, and when settled sent for Irene and her mom to follow. They travelled to Toronto by train – how exciting – and couldn’t believe their eyes upon arriving in Union Station and seeing the big city for the first time. Irene thrived in her new world – jumping into a new school and Church, making friends, taking advantage of all the new things to do, and loving her new life. In 1956 when she was 17, as her interest in boys developed, Irene and her girlfriends began attending the rehearsals of the local Drum & Bugle Corps. That’s where she caught the eye of Cal Thomson – a member of the band with a duck tail in his hair and driving a 1945 Ford convertible! That was the start of their dating life full of fun and happy memories. They quickly fell in love and married in June of 1958.

Irene had a few jobs over the years, but stayed home to raise the kids – Don, Robin and Sandra – while they were young. Upon her return to work, she eventually ended up in the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, where she excelled to the position of assistant to the bishop. With her love of the Church, this role fulfilled her need to serve, and care for others. Through her long-standing attendance at St Matthias in Etobicoke, she joined the choir, was a busy lay-reader, ran the coffee hours and church sales, and could always be counted on to pitch in and help with any church work or activities. The Church was a very important part of her life, and her last job was running the office at St Matthias, which she managed until well into her eighties.

Her hobbies and beloved activities included being part of a semi-professional, travelling singing group called the Harmony Singers; regularly attending Broadway plays in Toronto; bowling on local teams; participating in a rotating dinner club with friends: taking daily walks around the neighbourhood; working on crosswords and word search games, reading John Grisham novels and especially travelling with Cal on many trips, cruises, and time-share stays across the US, Canada and the Dominican Republic, and so much more. She was an excellent cook – learned from living with her PEI born mother-in-law and influenced by Newfie home cooking. She also loved to bake, and her Christmas sweet trays and cheese biscuits were beloved by all.

It is difficult to encapsulate the full picture of Irene in a short biography – her spirit, energy, great laugh and sense of adventure are far bigger than the pages of a book. We will always hold her close in our hearts and will think of her corny Newfie jokes when we gather at a family dinner table. We consider ourselves fortunate to have known and loved her, and hope that she has passed on her sense of goodness, kindness and love of life.

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