Obituary for Barbara D. Thomas-Wortley
It is with heavy hearts that the family of Barbara Diane Thomas-Wortley share the news of her peaceful passing on November 1, 2023 at the age of 83.
Daughter of the late Theodore and Marcella Baker. Predeceased by her devoted husband Norman K. Wortley (2014), her former husband Paul E. Thomas (2017), her brother Robert Baker and sister Kelly Baker. Survived by her children, Scott Thomas, Misty Thomas and Brett Thomas and her sisters Joan Knodel (David), Kay Nelson (Gordon), Kimberly DaCosta (Greg) as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. A special mention of Barbara’s Grandad Arthur whom she called a true treasure and her personal guardian angel.
Barbara was born on December 9, 1940 in San Diego, California. The Baker family lived in Southern California and Barbara was a beach bum her entire life. Nothing made her happier than being in the sunshine and the ocean, swimming and body surfing. She caused her dermatologist endless headaches by insisting that despite having several skin cancers develop over the years, there was no way she would ever give up having a tan. Eventually Barbara bought her own beach house in New Smyrna Beach, Florida where she and Norm would spend the winter months with sand between their toes.
Barbara was an outstanding athlete at a time where girls and women in sport was relatively new. Through a vote of her peers, she earned the “S Trophy” at Santa Monica High School. This award was presented to the graduating student-athlete who most exemplified Skills, Service & Sportsmanship.
She was determined to go to college and earned her tuition working at Tex’s Sporting Goods in Santa Monica throughout high school. Barbara became the first member of her family to earn a degree when she was awarded her Bachelor of Arts Degree as well as 2 teaching certificates from San Fernando Valley State College (now Cal State Northridge). Barbara considered education important and wanted to set an example for her future children by earning her degree.
She had planned to become a high school physical education teacher but sidelined those plans temporarily when she moved with her first husband, Dr. Paul Thomas, to Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This would not be the first time where Barbara sacrificed a great deal for her family. Leaving southern California to raise her family in Canada was just one example of this.
Many of Windsor’s citizens who had children the same ages as Barbara’s, would know her on sight because she was a constant presence at their activities. Baseball, basketball and volleyball games, track and swim meets, tennis and badminton matches, Barbara was there. She attended their musical performances and their plays. She was called upon to be a volunteer taxi for many of the teammates and bandmates of her children. Barbara was a great supporter of all family activities and adventures and felt it was important for her to display great sportsmanship as an example to her children. It was rare for Barbara to even utter the most mild complaint about a referee’s whistle or a coach’s decision. Her children were not always as successful at managing their emotions despite the example she set.
Barbara’s natural kind and loving personality attracted many wonderful friends throughout her lifetime. In the months before her death she made a point of visiting life-long friends Jackie and Edward Eginton, Kerry and Larry Jones, and Carolyn Mallory along with family in California. She felt especially blessed by friends in her later years that she nicknamed the “Fab Five” although there were 10 of them. Faye and Paul Hotte, Jacky Spiers, Barb Chery, Donna Vazzoler, Karen Meloche, Mary Cory, Kathy Ong, Dawn Laframboise and Sally Branch shared meals, movies and adventures together and kept her life active and running smoothly. The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to all Barbara’s friends for the kindness, care and joy that each of you brought into her life.
Barbara loved to travel and even loved to plan to travel. She travelled extensively in Europe with Italy being a particular favourite, along with visiting New Zealand to spend time with her cousins Rosalie & Peter Burnett and Gail Legg. She was also a HUGE figure skating fan. She had been a figure skater in her childhood where she was coached by three-time Olympic figure skating champion, Sonja Henie. Barbara and her sister Joan attended National Championships, World Championships and the 2010 Olympic Games. Events they did not attend in person were closely followed on TV and in the newspaper.
Barbara rarely watched TV except for news, the occasional old movie, and sports. She loved football and was a big fan of the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as well as the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Bart Starr were all favourites. She remained committed to exercising and personal fitness her entire life. She walked her River Canard neighbourhood on most days but when the weather was particularly poor, she would walk on her indoor treadmill.
No doubt the world’s chocolate supply will be higher now that Barbara is gone. See’s Candies, Peanut M & M’s, Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and Double Chocolate with Hazelnut Magnum Ice Cream bars fed her chocolate addiction regularly. Her children became experts at sleuthing out the closest Dairy Queen who would make an Oreo Cookie Blizzard with chocolate ice cream. She lived by the philosophy that, “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
Barbara was grateful for each day. She was an optimist who chose to find the silver lining in every situation and a potential new friend in every person she met. She chose a life of service to others, forever volunteering and doing random acts of kindness. She loved the sunshine, the beach, sports, chocolate, traveling, family and friends and she chose to make sure her life had regular doses of each. She chose to leave this life behind after she had squeezed every last bit of life out of it. It was a lifetime filled with adventure and moments of exquisite joy. She was deeply loved, respected and will always be missed.
Her final gift was to bequeath her body to the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University in London, Ontario for medical research. Following that she will be cremated and her ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean off her favourite beach in Santa Monica, California so that this So Cal girl can return home for her final resting place.
There will be no service as per her request. If you so desire, donations in her memory can be made to Make A Wish Foundation – Southwestern Ontario, 207-551 Oxford Street West, London, ON, N6H 0H9.
If you wish to express condolences to the family, please contact Scott Thomas at golfnut36@gmail.com.
Daughter of the late Theodore and Marcella Baker. Predeceased by her devoted husband Norman K. Wortley (2014), her former husband Paul E. Thomas (2017), her brother Robert Baker and sister Kelly Baker. Survived by her children, Scott Thomas, Misty Thomas and Brett Thomas and her sisters Joan Knodel (David), Kay Nelson (Gordon), Kimberly DaCosta (Greg) as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. A special mention of Barbara’s Grandad Arthur whom she called a true treasure and her personal guardian angel.
Barbara was born on December 9, 1940 in San Diego, California. The Baker family lived in Southern California and Barbara was a beach bum her entire life. Nothing made her happier than being in the sunshine and the ocean, swimming and body surfing. She caused her dermatologist endless headaches by insisting that despite having several skin cancers develop over the years, there was no way she would ever give up having a tan. Eventually Barbara bought her own beach house in New Smyrna Beach, Florida where she and Norm would spend the winter months with sand between their toes.
Barbara was an outstanding athlete at a time where girls and women in sport was relatively new. Through a vote of her peers, she earned the “S Trophy” at Santa Monica High School. This award was presented to the graduating student-athlete who most exemplified Skills, Service & Sportsmanship.
She was determined to go to college and earned her tuition working at Tex’s Sporting Goods in Santa Monica throughout high school. Barbara became the first member of her family to earn a degree when she was awarded her Bachelor of Arts Degree as well as 2 teaching certificates from San Fernando Valley State College (now Cal State Northridge). Barbara considered education important and wanted to set an example for her future children by earning her degree.
She had planned to become a high school physical education teacher but sidelined those plans temporarily when she moved with her first husband, Dr. Paul Thomas, to Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This would not be the first time where Barbara sacrificed a great deal for her family. Leaving southern California to raise her family in Canada was just one example of this.
Many of Windsor’s citizens who had children the same ages as Barbara’s, would know her on sight because she was a constant presence at their activities. Baseball, basketball and volleyball games, track and swim meets, tennis and badminton matches, Barbara was there. She attended their musical performances and their plays. She was called upon to be a volunteer taxi for many of the teammates and bandmates of her children. Barbara was a great supporter of all family activities and adventures and felt it was important for her to display great sportsmanship as an example to her children. It was rare for Barbara to even utter the most mild complaint about a referee’s whistle or a coach’s decision. Her children were not always as successful at managing their emotions despite the example she set.
Barbara’s natural kind and loving personality attracted many wonderful friends throughout her lifetime. In the months before her death she made a point of visiting life-long friends Jackie and Edward Eginton, Kerry and Larry Jones, and Carolyn Mallory along with family in California. She felt especially blessed by friends in her later years that she nicknamed the “Fab Five” although there were 10 of them. Faye and Paul Hotte, Jacky Spiers, Barb Chery, Donna Vazzoler, Karen Meloche, Mary Cory, Kathy Ong, Dawn Laframboise and Sally Branch shared meals, movies and adventures together and kept her life active and running smoothly. The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to all Barbara’s friends for the kindness, care and joy that each of you brought into her life.
Barbara loved to travel and even loved to plan to travel. She travelled extensively in Europe with Italy being a particular favourite, along with visiting New Zealand to spend time with her cousins Rosalie & Peter Burnett and Gail Legg. She was also a HUGE figure skating fan. She had been a figure skater in her childhood where she was coached by three-time Olympic figure skating champion, Sonja Henie. Barbara and her sister Joan attended National Championships, World Championships and the 2010 Olympic Games. Events they did not attend in person were closely followed on TV and in the newspaper.
Barbara rarely watched TV except for news, the occasional old movie, and sports. She loved football and was a big fan of the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as well as the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Bart Starr were all favourites. She remained committed to exercising and personal fitness her entire life. She walked her River Canard neighbourhood on most days but when the weather was particularly poor, she would walk on her indoor treadmill.
No doubt the world’s chocolate supply will be higher now that Barbara is gone. See’s Candies, Peanut M & M’s, Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and Double Chocolate with Hazelnut Magnum Ice Cream bars fed her chocolate addiction regularly. Her children became experts at sleuthing out the closest Dairy Queen who would make an Oreo Cookie Blizzard with chocolate ice cream. She lived by the philosophy that, “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
Barbara was grateful for each day. She was an optimist who chose to find the silver lining in every situation and a potential new friend in every person she met. She chose a life of service to others, forever volunteering and doing random acts of kindness. She loved the sunshine, the beach, sports, chocolate, traveling, family and friends and she chose to make sure her life had regular doses of each. She chose to leave this life behind after she had squeezed every last bit of life out of it. It was a lifetime filled with adventure and moments of exquisite joy. She was deeply loved, respected and will always be missed.
Her final gift was to bequeath her body to the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University in London, Ontario for medical research. Following that she will be cremated and her ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean off her favourite beach in Santa Monica, California so that this So Cal girl can return home for her final resting place.
There will be no service as per her request. If you so desire, donations in her memory can be made to Make A Wish Foundation – Southwestern Ontario, 207-551 Oxford Street West, London, ON, N6H 0H9.
If you wish to express condolences to the family, please contact Scott Thomas at golfnut36@gmail.com.