Thomas Moffatt

August 26, 2024

Thomas Moffatt, a beloved husband, father and cherished friend passed away peacefully on August 26, 2024, in Delta at the age of 87. Born in Vancouver on May 11, 1937, to Florence and Thomas, Tom lived a life rich with family and friends always around him. 

He is survived by his devoted wife of 55 years, Sylvia, their daughters, Denise (Rob) and Jacqui (Daniele), and granddaughters Rayn and Pace who will forever cherish his memory. He was predeceased by his brother Arthur (Teresa) and sister Emma. 

Tom was known for his warm and approachable nature. He made friends easily and valued his connections with those around him. For Tom, there were no strangers, "just friends he hadn’t met yet”.Tom stayed connected to people. He kept up with friends from high school for his entire life. He enjoyed sharing a laugh at the pancake house with a running group that started 60 years ago at the New West YMCA. And he took every opportunity to spend time with and appreciate his immediate and extended family.  

Tom never had a bad word to say about anyone and lived his life with remarkable grace and resilience. Tom's ability to accept people as they are and his genuine kindness were evident to all who knew him. His ability to see the best in people and his refusal to complain about life's challenges were testaments to his character.

Though he didn’t play music himself, Tom loved music. He appreciated all genres, from classical to contemporary pop and spent many hours at the kitchen table curating custom playlists on his tablet. He most enjoyed the music of the 1960s. Tom celebrated the arts through his passion for live performance and theatre, regularly attending both music and stage shows. Tom also loved watching and discussing classic movies and had extensive knowledge to draw on. 

Tom was a math teacher and department head who worked most of his career at Johnston Heights Secondary School in Surrey. There he left a lasting impact on his students and colleagues. Tom’s connection to his colleagues continued into retirement with regular catch-ups with the JH retired teachers on the first Thursday of every month. 

Tom was a keen ping-pong player and enjoyed a good game of bridge. Another of Tom's great joys was golf. He enjoyed playing the game and watching it –  in his younger years he spent weekends on the green or followed tournaments on TV. He loved running and completed several marathons. When he wasn’t able to run anymore, he kept up his fitness by going to the local gym almost every day continuing into his eighties. 

Tom loved to travel and visited numerous countries - highlights included chaperoning a student trip to South Africa, visiting new acquaintances in Australia, and travelling to India and China with a group of long-time friends. As a young man, he travelled with Hill Montgomery by steamship to connect with his late father’s family in Ireland and Scotland. Road trips to Manitoba were an annual pilgrimage, and he developed strong connections with Sylvia’s large group of extended family and friends. 

Tom will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Vancity Community Foundation - Bright Beginning’s Foundation in Tom's memory. The foundation helps some of Surrey's most vulnerable young adults see a bright future through access to post-secondary education.

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