Tribute

Mauno Tuomi was many things, as befits a man who lived through his ninth decade. He can be described by his family ties (father, grandfather, husband, etc.) or by his careers and hobbies (forester, businessman, avid
outdoorsman). He can also be described as a good citizen. In The Pas, Manitoba where he lived for eleven years, he helped establish the public library, served as a statistician for minor hockey and started the cross country ski club. He gave of his time in a similar manner wherever he lived. The abilities he exercised in these endeavours could be called his gifts. He was an organizer without being a nitpicker. He was gifted with self-discipline but wasn’t uptight. As a parent he neither hovered nor wavered.

His greatest gift was surely his relationship with his wife of sixty-two years, Sirkka. Her influence on Mauno was magical. This made their separation upon her death in 2019 impossibly painful and poignant when she died in his arms. Such loss was more than Mauno could fully recover from. Somehow his broken heart was still strong enough to serve him for five years beyond Sirkka’s passing.

Perhaps two years before his death, I as his caregiver, was tucking him into bed (he needed help getting under the covers by then). I had just taken a fresh sheet out of the dryer which I flapped over Mauno as he lay on the bed. The sheet floated sideways a bit to cover his face. From under the linen I heard his quiet voice clearly say, “Not yet”.

My father Mauno did not shake the world, but he was my hero. My hero died on September 15, 2024.

Mauno is survived by three sons, Antti, Heikki and Kalle and three
grandchildren, Zoe Williams-Tuomi, Stacy Berg and Trent Shea.