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THISTLETHWAITE, Melvin Wallace

THISTLETHWAITE, Melvin Wallace

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of husband, father, brother, soldier, Papa, WO (ret) - Melvin Wallace Thistlethwaite, of Logan Lake BC.

Born in Chemainus BC, and survived by his loving wife of over 50 years, Allison (nee Beare), his 3 children Anthea (Mica), Erik, and Iain (Melanie), Siblings Dan, Gail and Jeannie, grandchildren, Alexys, Brandon, Nicholas, Talula, Lachlan, Delilah, Makiya and Karter and many neices and Nephews.
Predeceased by mother Marion (nee Nelson), Father Andrew Wallace, sister Mavis, brothers Ron and Alan (AKA-Skinny)

Born 3rd of seven children, Mel left home and school at 15 to go work in the bush setting chokers. He loved to say that he made $100 a week in the bush and $90 a month as a recruit.

He then proudly served for over 28 years of his life with the Canadian military. Beginning at age 17 when he joined the Second Battalion with the PPCLI. This career took him all over the world. He loved adventure. He taught us all to work hard and play harder. He was a proud Dirty Patricia!
He lived his dream of jumping out of airplanes, as a jumper. He was a mortar man, and he really loved his time in the RECCE Platoon. He spent his military career training mortars, serving as drill sergeant (he could sure yell!). He taught drivers education for a wide variety of vehicles, ranging from jeeps to heavy equipment. He served overseas multiple times, performing peace work in Germany, and Cypress. He taught soldiers how to repel out of helicopters and off cliffs near Sydney Australia. He taught survival for extreme environments from the frozen Arctic north of Churchill and Norway to the steaming jungles of Panama. He taught at Camp Borden’s Leadership Academy and loved every moment of it. He was proud to serve Canada.

He met Allison in Calgary, on a blind date, in 1971. Six weeks later they eloped and moved to Winnipeg to begin their life together. Eventually becoming a family of five. Together, they accepted many postings across Canada, including Winnipeg MB, Borden ON, Victoria BC, Kamloops BC and Vancouver BC. Eventually settling in Logan Lake BC. His family meant the world to him.

Over the years he developed many deep and long-lasting friendships and remembered with fondness the adventures they shared. He loved it when his home was full of people. The door was always open, and everyone left full.

After retiring from the military, Mel began volunteering in his community. An active member of the Canadian Lions Club, he worked to raise awareness for the guide dog program, and to raise funds within the community so that neighbours who could not afford necessities (such as motorized wheelchairs, when mobility made manual ones too difficult) could be gifted life changing products to make their lives more comfortable. He took pride in his years as a volunteer with the Logan Lake Ambassadors program, teaching public speaking to contestants for over 20 years. He also volunteered as an active member of the Canadian Legion and was a great supporter of The Canadian Veterans program; Soldier On, where care for the mental well-being of veterans was very important to him.

He was always active. His passion for golf kept his restless spirit a little more content. Up early to help prepare the local golf course for a day of activity, he did his best to get at least nine holes in a day, his goal was 72. He loved his golf cart and painted her the regimental colours the second he got her. This eventually led to his service on the course committee, helping with fund raisers that not only enabled the course to keep running but has drawn users in from all over Canada and even the US. He used to love touring around with his buddies participating in as many golf tournaments as he could. His prize table was usually pretty impressive. He loved competing.

In 2015, he began a long battle of recovery after suffering a severe heart attack and then also requiring a serious surgery that took his lower right leg. His passion to get back on the golf course is what helped him get out of bed every day to push through physio.

A warrior in every sense, his positive outlook on life and the ability to find a way to make a joke out of even the most serious of situations is what made him unique.

He had been hospitalized and moved to long term care in 2018 where the team of medical professionals just couldn’t seem to figure out what was making him so sick. For his next magical trick, in May of 2019 he was well enough to head home. We are confident that his positivity was a driving factor toward his recovery at that point and over the last many years, amidst his health struggles.

He touched so many lives, and though he only has 3 biological children, we are confident that he has been a father figure to so many more over the years. He was so very proud of all of us for all of our successes in life. He just beamed when talking about his grandkids. As a father, he was always supportive of everything we all did, even when sometimes our lifestyles weren’t the healthiest, we knew that we were supported and loved, and we are so grateful for that. We all remember being voluntold from the time we were kids, and we’re proud to carry that tradition on.

Forever in our hearts <3

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Logan Lake Lions Club or SoldierOn.ca (links below).

https://www.soldieron.ca/Donate">https://www.soldieron.ca/Donate

Logan Lake Lions Club
PO Box213
Logan Lake BC   
V0K 1W0


Link: www.myalternatives.ca/kamloops/obituaries/2022-thistlethwaite-melvin-wallace
Condolence Messages
  • Feb 01, 2022
    On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Rangers Regimental Association we would like to offer our condolences to Mel's family. He was a friend to many in the regiment and will be missed. A donation of $100.00 was made in Mel's memory to the Soldier On campaign.

    Mike Young

    President

    RMRang Regimental Association
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