Obituaries

Peacefully, on November 9, 2022, Marty (Phillip Maurice) Thibodeau slipped away into the welcoming arms of his Lord and Saviour at the age of 84.

Grieving his loss are his children, Kelly (Mike) O’Connor of Courtright, ON, Wendy (John) Taylor of Bridgetown, NS and Dion (Leah) Thibodeau of Fort St John, BC. His grandchildren Kendall, Damon, Jacquelyn, Pilar, Dayten, Miranda, Lance and Josie. He was a proud Papa to seven great grandchildren.

He is also survived by brothers Louis (Goldie) and William (Beverly), both of Nova Scotia. Marty is predeceased by parents Isaac and Margaret (Jennie) Thibodeau and siblings Frank Thibodeau, Effie Reid and Lenora Mailman.

Marty was fortunate to turn his passion of cooking into his career beginning with a boarding house in Toronto, to owning a restaurant in Nova Scotia and many years of cooking at CFB Cornwallis, Digby, NS from which he retired. The cooking did not stop though as he continued baking and selling his renowned pies at local farmer’s markets. It brought him so much joy to prepare meals and treats and share with friends and neighbors. In the true Nova Scotia tradition, all visitors were received in the kitchen and within moments of arrival, tea and something homebaked would be on his table.

Another passion that Marty will be remembered for was his gardening. Each home that he lived in throughout his life was beautifully transformed with his amazing gardens. He tended each plant with such care and no weed stood a chance against him. He also loved a good bargain, and every car he owned came equipped with brakes that stopped for every yard sale in its path.

Five years ago, Marty moved to Ontario and embraced a slower pace with less home maintenance of apartment life. He loved the long warm summers and marveled at the size of the freighter ships in the St. Clair River. He took great joy in family visits from near and far, our pets and deck dining followed by ice cream cones at the river. He enjoyed reminiscing over photos of these visits and his FaceTime chats with granddaughter Josie and his newest great grandson Myles, always brought such a smile to his face. Marty’s sparkling blue eyes, pride and love of his family and teasing manner will be remembered always.

Cremation has taken place. A graveside service at Lakeview Cemetery, Sarnia, ON will be scheduled at a later date. As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society, Sarnia-Lambton https://alzheimer.ca/sarnialambton/en

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