Obituary for Joseph Xavier "Joe" Thomas
Joseph Xavier Thomas' Obituary
Beloved Joseph Xavier Thomas, husband of Hilda Thomas and father of Chris Thomas and Mike Thomas is missed tremendously, separated from loved ones by death.
Joseph Xavier Thomas was the eldest son of Mariasusai Aloysius and Lily Thomas.
Date of birth - March 29 1952 (Trivandrum, India)
Date of Death- May 26 2020 (Burlington, Canada)
Joseph, known as Joe to all his family and friends, was an awesome husband, father, brother and a cheerful friend. He was an accomplished Electrical Engineer for Nova Scotia Power for 30 years before retirement, and followed this with 5 years of consulting work in the Caribbean for their parent company, Emera.
Joe was born in India but was a globe trotter from the time he was only a few months old. Joe lived in Malaysia, Detroit, USA, Singapore, Canada and India, before settling back in Canada.
Joe had to work hard for a living from age 19, after his parents’ untimely death in a car crash in 1971. Joe moved to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia from Singapore and attended Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, N.S. and the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS). He secured a job in a great utility, Nova Scotia Power, soon after graduation.
Joe, then came to India, agreeing to have an arranged marriage. Joe and Hilda were compatible, were made for each other and got married in 1978.
The couple was blessed with two intelligent, loving children Chris and Mike in 1979 and 1981. Joe was a loving, responsible father, rough-housing with the children, feeding and bathing them. Joe was very computer savvy, and introduced the boys to computers as early as age one.
After retirement, Joe and Hilda moved to Burlington, as each had sisters in Ontario. With Chris living in Halifax, N.S. and Mike living in Vancouver, B.C., Joe and Hilda decided to live somewhere in the middle. Summers and Christmases were joyous with their sons visiting.
Joe was very active, played badminton twice or thrice a week and went for daily 2 hour walks in any kind of weather.
He also gave his time selflessly to the Halton District School Board (Aldershot High School and Holy Rosary School) as a Robotics Mentor.
He volunteered for three hours weekly in the Burlington Senior Centre in the ‘Young And Young At Heart’ program where youth and seniors gather for interaction, sharing, cooking a meal and eating it together and playing board games. Joe loved it. He put his heart and soul into it.
He volunteered at Holy Rosary Church for the Parish Council. He was Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist for many years. He was a Lector and attended mass regularly.
He was passionate about harnessing Solar Energy to charge small devices like cell phones and flash lights for Haiti. He taught a missionary from our Holy Rosary Church doing great work in Haiti with converting solar energy with easily available cost effective dollar store items.
These were just some of the ways Joe gave back to his community. Unfortunately his health declined slowly in recent years due to a complicated neurological condition. He had troubles doing what he could once do effortlessly. This was very frustrating for him. He had many falls and one fatal fall claimed his life on the 26th of May, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe was active till the end. Hearts break to know that a husband and father is snatched away suddenly. Even in his death, he gave of himself. Being an organ donor, a beloved husband and devoted father lives on.
Joe is survived by wife Hilda, sons Chris and Mike, siblings Philip (Geraldine), Frank, Reuben (Debbie), Jacinta and Juanita and nieces and nephews, Archana, Sara, Matt and Rajiv. He is survived by sister in laws Matilda, Vimala (Ram), brother in law Stephen (Sandy), nephews and nieces Christopher Bernard, Indhu, Aravind, Alicia and Christopher. He is also survived by many cousins and nieces and nephews through them.
Joe! We miss you so much. Until we meet again……
“Beads of tears shade my sight
Chords of pain sting and hurt
Oars of Hope row life’s boat
Bonds of love ease my plight”
- Hilda Thomas
Charities: Donations can be made to 'Global Empower' for Haiti represented by Joanna Baumgartner from our Holy Rosary Church, Burlington in lieu of flowers at Empower Global or B The Hope For Haiti.
Beloved Joseph Xavier Thomas, husband of Hilda Thomas and father of Chris Thomas and Mike Thomas is missed tremendously, separated from loved ones by death.
Joseph Xavier Thomas was the eldest son of Mariasusai Aloysius and Lily Thomas.
Date of birth - March 29 1952 (Trivandrum, India)
Date of Death- May 26 2020 (Burlington, Canada)
Joseph, known as Joe to all his family and friends, was an awesome husband, father, brother and a cheerful friend. He was an accomplished Electrical Engineer for Nova Scotia Power for 30 years before retirement, and followed this with 5 years of consulting work in the Caribbean for their parent company, Emera.
Joe was born in India but was a globe trotter from the time he was only a few months old. Joe lived in Malaysia, Detroit, USA, Singapore, Canada and India, before settling back in Canada.
Joe had to work hard for a living from age 19, after his parents’ untimely death in a car crash in 1971. Joe moved to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia from Singapore and attended Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, N.S. and the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS). He secured a job in a great utility, Nova Scotia Power, soon after graduation.
Joe, then came to India, agreeing to have an arranged marriage. Joe and Hilda were compatible, were made for each other and got married in 1978.
The couple was blessed with two intelligent, loving children Chris and Mike in 1979 and 1981. Joe was a loving, responsible father, rough-housing with the children, feeding and bathing them. Joe was very computer savvy, and introduced the boys to computers as early as age one.
After retirement, Joe and Hilda moved to Burlington, as each had sisters in Ontario. With Chris living in Halifax, N.S. and Mike living in Vancouver, B.C., Joe and Hilda decided to live somewhere in the middle. Summers and Christmases were joyous with their sons visiting.
Joe was very active, played badminton twice or thrice a week and went for daily 2 hour walks in any kind of weather.
He also gave his time selflessly to the Halton District School Board (Aldershot High School and Holy Rosary School) as a Robotics Mentor.
He volunteered for three hours weekly in the Burlington Senior Centre in the ‘Young And Young At Heart’ program where youth and seniors gather for interaction, sharing, cooking a meal and eating it together and playing board games. Joe loved it. He put his heart and soul into it.
He volunteered at Holy Rosary Church for the Parish Council. He was Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist for many years. He was a Lector and attended mass regularly.
He was passionate about harnessing Solar Energy to charge small devices like cell phones and flash lights for Haiti. He taught a missionary from our Holy Rosary Church doing great work in Haiti with converting solar energy with easily available cost effective dollar store items.
These were just some of the ways Joe gave back to his community. Unfortunately his health declined slowly in recent years due to a complicated neurological condition. He had troubles doing what he could once do effortlessly. This was very frustrating for him. He had many falls and one fatal fall claimed his life on the 26th of May, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe was active till the end. Hearts break to know that a husband and father is snatched away suddenly. Even in his death, he gave of himself. Being an organ donor, a beloved husband and devoted father lives on.
Joe is survived by wife Hilda, sons Chris and Mike, siblings Philip (Geraldine), Frank, Reuben (Debbie), Jacinta and Juanita and nieces and nephews, Archana, Sara, Matt and Rajiv. He is survived by sister in laws Matilda, Vimala (Ram), brother in law Stephen (Sandy), nephews and nieces Christopher Bernard, Indhu, Aravind, Alicia and Christopher. He is also survived by many cousins and nieces and nephews through them.
Joe! We miss you so much. Until we meet again……
“Beads of tears shade my sight
Chords of pain sting and hurt
Oars of Hope row life’s boat
Bonds of love ease my plight”
- Hilda Thomas
Charities: Donations can be made to 'Global Empower' for Haiti represented by Joanna Baumgartner from our Holy Rosary Church, Burlington in lieu of flowers at Empower Global or B The Hope For Haiti.