Obituary of Garry Thorne

It is with great sadness that the family of Garry William Thorne announces his passing at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton on Friday, October 11, 2024, just two days shy of his 60^th birthday, his wife by his side. Garry was the husband of Michelle Thorne of Burton.

In addition to his wife, Michelle, Garry leaves behind his son, Dominic of Burton; brothers, James O'Neil (Kelly) of Japan, Mark Graham (Donna) and Shawn Blanchard of Ontario; sisters, Corrina Carbon (Avan) and Tammy Blanchard of Ontario; nephews, Matthew Carbon and Andrew Dykeman; nieces, Amanda Thorne, Samantha Christopher and Rebecca Dykeman; mother-in-law, Mary Louise Trynor; sister-in-law, Annette Dykeman (Mark) and brother-in-law, Troy Trynor (Pauline). Garry was predeceased by his parents, Calvin and Maureen (White) Thorne; brother, Robert Blanchard; father-in-law, Vance Trynor, or “Skipper” as Garry liked to call him.

The only one of his siblings born in Newfoundland, Garry and his family moved to Toronto where Garry grew up until returning to Newfoundland with his father as a teenager. With encouragement from his uncle, Garry joined the military in 1992 and served on three peace keeping tours, one of which involved the Battle of Medak Pocket. He was very proud to have served his country. He retired from the military in 2010 and continued to work as a civilian vehicle tech until 2012. He then continued his hobby of small engine repair until 2021. He could often be found walking the aisles at Canadian Tire and Princess Auto, where everybody knew his name. He was never without a bottle of Pepsi.  Garry was always quick with a joke and known to his friends as “Captain Safety”, for always making sure everyone completed things in the safest way possible. Garry set a goal for himself to help at least one person every day, and he did. Whether it was helping rescue a pet from a burning house, giving blankets and a meal to a homeless man, helping with a flat tire or rendering aid to an accident victim, Garry was selfless when caring for others.

Visitation will be held at Oromocto Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 16, from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. The funeral service will be held in the Oromocto Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 11:00 am. Interment will follow in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Burton. For those who wish, donations in Garry’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Canada.