Thomas Leroy King

Thomas (Tom) Leroy King, aged 83, deeply loved husband of Lisa Castle in New Westminster, BC, passed peacefully on April 29, 2025.

Tom was predeceased by his parents Clare and Joan King, infant son Courtney, and brothers Don and Ken.

Tom is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Lisa, his first wife Sherran and their daughters Andrea Chycoski (Richard) of San Jose, California, and Leisa Cadotte (François) of Surrey, BC. Tom was proud of his crew of grandsons Mathieu (Janie), Benjamin, Alexander and Brian, and great grandsons, Raphaël and Antoni. He is also survived by his sister Dorothy (Pat) and brothers Bob (Barbara) and Jerry (Wayne).

Tom was born in Biggar, Saskatchewan in 1941. His father worked for CN Railway and as his career progressed, the family moved many times living in different western provinces. Tom and his 5 siblings would often ride the trains together, and they would spend many summers in White Rock, BC where their love of that community, and the beach, sand and sun was born.

Growing up Tom was an exceptional athlete competing in top level baseball and junior hockey, as well as in basketball through high school in Winnipeg. Tom became a lifeguard and then earned a scholarship as an elite gymnast to the University of North Dakota. He subsequently earned his BA from the University of Manitoba.

He moved with his first wife and young family to the Lower Mainland in 1968, taking up a position at Simon Fraser University, where he dedicated close to 3 decades of his working life. His last official position was as the respected Assistant Director of Human Resources. He retired from that role in 1996 and worked on a project introducing the Smartcard to SFU’s operations.

Tom’s time at SFU was intertwined with his love of the outdoors, sport and community. One of his trips took him, together with many others, on a canoe trip that re-created the voyage of Simon Fraser and his voyagers down the entirety of the Fraser River.

Upon his retirement, Tom embraced his passion for the outdoors and operated the marine store at the Reed Point Marina in Port Moody, and worked for a winter at Cypress Mountain. He loved the toys of summer and enjoyed playing with his motorcycles, boats and cars. He was generous in sharing his toys with his family.

As a seasoned camper and fisherman, he demonstrated impressive skills to live off the land and ability to “MacGyver” just about anything. His forte was providing resources in the roughest of conditions. He built his own fishing rods and tied flies by hand. He taught his daughters how to build shelters, and sand traps to catch the Easter Bunny. They remember his teaching their classmates orienteering and canoe portaging, as well as coaching softball and showing up for every game to cheer the loudest.

Tom loved to travel to the sun in the winter months, Hawaii and Mexico were frequent spots. He and Lisa traveled extensively including the US, Asia (they loved Japan, and it is evident in their home), Australia and New Zealand. They traveled with close friends Lou and Clara Roussinos to Greece, as well as to Amsterdam, Prague and a Danube River cruise, and a bike and barge tour out of Bordeaux.

This last September, he realized another destination on his bucket list when he travelled with Lisa and his siblings and their spouses on an Alaskan cruise. They took one last train ride together on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway.

Tom was a great storyteller and jokester. He convinced his kids of mythical creatures and created scenarios where they would appear at certain times of day. In the 1970s, he would participate in his daughters’ figure skating events dressed in a tutu and full mustache, entertaining the crowds with moves on ice borrowed from the Harlem Globetrotters, scaring the audience with buckets of confetti.

He had a charming smile and quick-witted sense of humour, and an insatiable love of puns and wordplay. He was famous for his long-drawn out telling of Grampa/Dad jokes and resulting eye rolls, and his custom handshake with his grandsons and sons-in-law.

Tom adored his grandsons and would often take them on road trips and to the beach, and teach them how to fish and crab. He loved to cheer on Ben at as many hockey games as he could. He was, and always will be, the best Grampa ever!

Tom loved music, especially from the 1960s. He was a “superfan” of 60s folk music as well as the music of John Denver, The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett, the latter two he saw twice in concert.

He had an enduring interest in the events of WWII, and avidly watched all programming about it, often over and over. He has the greatest of respect for veterans that served generally and Canada in particular, and those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

A Celebration of his Life in New Westminster is being planned for July. Flowers are gratefully declined.

For those wishing to make a donation in his memory, he was a regular donor to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and the BC Knowledge Network, or a charity that is meaningful to them.

“Oh great ball of fire in the sky, shine down upon these weary bones and warm my buns”