Every one of us, at one point or another, will lose a special person who was a star in our skies. How do we say goodbye, and how do we properly honor that person? That’s the dilemma in telling you about Terence George Lomas.
I wish I was a famous poet and could write a beautiful sonnet describing him, or a musician who could write a song about him that would touch your heart. As I write another draft of this, I know I will fail in my attempt to bring what is in my heart onto this page.
I could talk about his upbringing in England, and I can picture a smile on his face as he would recall stories of his mom and dad. It brings us peace knowing that in his final moments here, his first moments on the other side would be sliding into their arms.
If you asked him about his life, I think he would probably skip over the journeys on the seas with the British Merchant Navy. Not because he wasn’t proud of it, but because that was just an adventure — it did not define him.
Maybe he might have talked about his years serving with the Oshawa Fire Department and how he was awarded Firefighter of the Year in 1983. He loved his career and was respected among his peers, but that was not his passion in life.
Ask him about his family… that was where he would light up. His 59-year love affair with his wife, Virginia. His daughter Wendy and son Glenn. He had two wonderful in-laws, Jean-Guy and Christine, but they were never considered in-laws. They were his children too, and they felt his love.
The true pride and joy came from his grandchildren, Chloe, Josh (Anna), and Ryan. His eyes would brighten, and the big Lomas smile would light up his face. He would have given everything to be the world’s oldest man — not for the attention or fame, but to live long enough to watch these three special souls grow up and see what they could accomplish.
It’s impossible to summarize this man’s life in a few paragraphs. It’s impossible to share the smiles, laughter, love, and encouragement he brought. When you were down, he would pick you up, and the people closest to him knew that if he saw you in pain, he wanted nothing more than to take that pain away and feel it for them.
If he could write his own obituary, he would end it thinking about his family. He would tell his “Ginny Love” that she was the best thing that ever happened to him. To Wendy and Glenn, that he is so proud of them, and that Jean-Guy and Christine were the best thing to ever happen to them. To the grandchildren — shoot for the stars — and never, NEVER give up.
Terence George Lomas would end his own obituary by saying it was fun and he loved you all, but his dogs Shadow and Sheba are waiting to play. His childhood dog Lady is there, along with numerous furry grandchildren, all anxious to be close to him. He’ll be waiting for us when it is our time, and he’ll be waiting with a hot cup of tea or a cold glass of Guinness, ready to sit down and catch up on lost time.
