Allan Douglas Thompson passed from this world on April 29th, 2022. Allan is in the hands of the Lord surrounded by those he loved on earth, including his father Russell who referred to Jesus as “his friend”. Al, too, knew Jesus as his friend and Savior from the time he was a young lad.

As a scientist, mathematician, engineer and seeker of truth Allan discovered God’s majesty at every turn- his life was dedicated to serving the Lord and being the husband, father, brother and son that reflected the light of Christ. Al had a wry sense of humour that mirrored both his playfulness and deeply analytical mind. This site may help those who knew Al in a casual way to understand how his faith and intellect merged. He would be happy if the things that are read or watched here spark a philosophical conversation that moves one’s heart and/or mind toward a desire to know the Creator of the universe in an intimate and personal way.

This site is a place to add your memories and to experience Al from the perspectives of those who knew him throughout his 79 years. His early life, though seemingly compartmentalized between his childhood in Vancouver, four decade career at Boeing, family life on Vashon Island, visits to Gabriola Island and church affiliations proved rather to be a compilation of all the facets of his American and Canadian life which he was able to hold in balance despite being “dual” as he often referred to himself. In the end, he found it a challenge to envision himself as a permanent resident of any one place. It was particularly difficult for him to imagine not being able to pass freely from Canada to the Us when covid lockdowns constrained his travel plans. When we were unable to attend the Thursday night Jam or go out for fish and chips at the Surf when covid was at its height we turned to each other. I would never trade those precious times locked down at home together.

As a way of bringing together all of the communities, family members and friends that Al cherished we are inviting those nearby to attend a celebration of his life to be held at Gabriola Fellowship Church on Gabriola Island, BC, Canada and for those at a distance to participate fully in the event through the magic of an interactive live stream. We will not only be asking you to attend the celebration of Al’s life, we are asking you to participate in the celebration by sharing stories, photos, video, music, anecdotes, art, insights, testimonies and any other contribution that helps all of us to see yet another aspect of Al that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Al, after all, could be a man of few words, yet it’s sometimes quite astonishing to see him in the light of those who knew him at the various stages of his life or when he would literally and figuratively change hats and become someone with even more talents than we had imagined.

The Celebration of Al’s life will be held on Saturday, July 16th at 2 pm PST. We would love to see anyone who is able to join us at Gabriola Fellowship Church in person, but equally amazing will be your participation in Al’s memorial from wherever you happen to have access to an internet connection and, if possible, a microphone and camera.

Please stay tuned to this page and the site in general for updates and, yes, information.