Obituary of Thomas Crowther

Surrounded by his loving family the passing of Tom Crowther occurred at the St. John and St. Stephen Nursing Home on Sunday, March 21, 2010. He was born on April 17, 1922 in Bolton, England to the late Ernest and Ada Crowther. He joined the Royal Montreal Regiment in 1939, went overseas and was wounded twice. Upon his return to Canada in 1945 became very active in The Anglican Church and started working in the circulation department at the Telegraph & Times in Saint John. He held numerous other positions with the newspaper & in 1963 he was appointed to Vice President & General Manager of the Saint John paper. Later in 1977, he was appointed President and Publisher of the Fredericton Daily Gleaner and President of University Press of New Brunswick Limited. He initiated the establishment of the Atlantic Press Council in 1982 and was chairman of the Canadian Daily Newspaper Publishers Association 1986-1988 and a director for 13 years. He was a director of the Canadian Press and Press News Limited for nine years and spent four years as a member of the American Newspaper Publishers Association Technical Arrangements Committee. He was very active in both Saint John and Fredericton and was past chairman of the Diocesan Board of Finance, numerous Synod Committees and an active layman for many years; chairman of the Board of Trade Industry committee, heavily involved in the Unity Committee and the Waterfront Council (unions & I.L.A.), initiated Saint John Port Days, director of Wiggins Boys Home and Director of NB Protestant Orphan’s Foundation, served as Chairman of Board of Governor of Theatre New Brunswick, Governor of The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, director of Chalmers Hospital Foundation, director of Junior Achievement of Fredericton, member of the Board of the University of New Brunswick and director of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. Tom is survived by his second wife of 31 years, Jean (Arthurs) Crowther of Saint John; four children: Rodney (Judy) of Rothesay, Lynn Rector (Joe) of Quispamsis, Holly Singh (Ken) of Hampton, Heather MacDonald (Stewart) of Upham; four step-children; Judy Comeau (Luke), Christine Benjamin, Gloria Braman and Royanna Braman; sister in-law, Ilie Crowther and many beloved grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, Tom was predeceased by his first wife, Marjorie (Braman) Crowther and brother, Arnold Crowther. Resting at Brenan's Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John (634-7424), with visiting on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. The funeral service will be held from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Rothesay on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 11 AM. Interment will take place in Fernhill Cemetery. For those who wish, remembrances to the Saint John Boys and Girls Club or the Big Brothers – Big Sisters of Saint John would be appreciated by the family.