History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past,
trying to reconstruct its scenes,
to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams
the passion of former days.
Winston Churchill
“Tam” Thomas Graham Stevenson was born March 16, 1938 in Chesley, Ontario. His father, also Thomas Graham Stevenson, was born the 16th of February 1908 in Auchinleck, Scotland and immigrated with his mother and three sisters in 1928. Tam’s mother, Edith Lenore Boyce, was born in Chesley where her father served has caretaker of the Chesley Cemetery and her family lived right on site! Tam’s parents were married the 18th of December 1930 in Chesley. Tam was the youngest in the family with an older brother, George Thomas “Geordie” and sister, Marion.
All three siblings were raised in Chesley, played on their working forty-five acre farm on the Paisley Highway. Fifty head of cattle, chickens, white geese and of course, “Glennie” the dog all inhabited the farm. The children attended both public and secondary school in Chesley. An interesting story is told of how Tam (and Mary Martha Strba) were home the day their school burnt down (1942) and how Tam could see it burn from the house windows. In fact, Tam was quite shaken by the whole ordeal as he had just received a brand new pen and pencil which was lost to the fire.
Tam’s father was a plumber along with being a farmer. In the 1940’s he operated out of Cope Pro Hardware store in Chesley and in 1959 bought a building next to the present day Baptist Church that would, in time, become his own shop. Even though they were like fire and ice, Tam learned from watching and working with his father. At that time, formal certification was not necessary, however Tam did acquire it later on. Tam sometimes worked with Lloyd Mannerow. The business would open in 1961 and dear little Pamela Dianne was born in 1962. Handsome little Robin Jay Albert was born two years later in 1964.
Marlene and Tam also raised their little family in Chesley, first living in the old Duffy (Halliday) House on the North Hill and then across the street, four houses up from the liquor store, which he purchased for $25,000.00. (Imagine.) Pam and Rob attended school in Chesley and, like their father, also played on the farm. However, Tam’s pencil was pretty sharp and it didn’t take him long to realize the farm was only making about $120.00 a year. Shortly after this discovery, the farm was sold. It was in the late 1970’s when Tam’s marriage disintegrated, causing him much sorrow.
In time, Tam fell in love again. While waiting for an intestinal transplant, Doris Vint (Johnston) died in 1987 at the tender age of 52. Having known Doris for years, Tam yet again faced sorrow and loneliness. Despite his grief however, Tam lived a very full life. Anything that would move, and could be washed and shined, served as an attraction to Tam; camping trailers, camping vans, boats, motorcycles, airplanes, and even roller-skates were fair game for Tam. In fact, Tam was actually called “Wheels” at one time because of his love for roller-skating.
To say he was adventurous is an understatement. At the tender age of twenty-one, Tam and his cousin Don Boyce borrowed a little bit of money and headed out west in Don’s dad’s car. They were never so glad to get home though. Money had been really scarce as were meals and lodgings. Other adventures included Jim Leask, Ven Denomy and Cliff Rier. Tam’s cousin, Don Boyes, and Clark Brown were great influences on Tam and in turn Tam was a great influence on his own children, grandchildren and would have been on his great-grandchildren had it not been for his stroke. His greatest piece of advice? “Don’t spend beyond your means.”
In the early 1970’s, Marlene and Tam joined Bill and Verna Meins and together they travelled through Germany, Switzerland and Italy for six weeks. Wow! Bill even shipped his automobile, a Pontiac Catalina, over to Germany so that they could tour around in it. Double Wow! The two kids were still in school and they were shipped off to friends or relatives to stay for the six weeks.
Tam has also travelled to Ireland, Scotland and even Cuba, to name just a few places. Ask Tam’s family to tell you the story of his relative that died in a military air crash at Dunkirk and how the propeller is, to this day, on display in a local pub! Of course, many pubs were visited to find the exact one! Locally, Tam loved to tour the breweries, drive to Meaford in the fall to get apples and see the leaves. His beer of choice? Labatt’s Blue Pilsner. His cigarette of choice? Sweet Caps. Playing cards, fishing, snowmobile racing, making wine, golfing with the grandchildren, making fly fishing flies and even a Grandfather Clock for his 1st Grandson were pastimes for Tam.
Aside from being adventurous, Tam was stubborn which likely helped him survive the plumbing business, divorce, death of a fiancé and the raising of his family. (Not that they were bad kids, of course!) Tam was also meticulously tidy, very organized – writing everything down, and of course was also very particular.
At the same time that Tam was social he could also be a loner. When the six-pack was finished so was Tam. He was a simple and quiet man who didn’t like displays of emotion (especially tears), who loved his family, his work and his music. Charlie Pride was his absolute favourite. Then of course, there was Tanya Tucker and Love Me Like You Used To. Believe it or not, Tam also liked Nana Mouskouri, the Greek born international singer, considered to be one of the best-selling music artists in the world. When camping at Kilsyth Tam always had his 8 track, red square speaker player resounding with his favourite music.
Perhaps it was part of his love for adventure as to why Tam loved reading history – especially local history and most especially nautical history of the Great Lakes. Tam was especially excited when the remains of the HMS General Hunter, a British-built brig run aground during a violent Lake Huron storm in 1816 was uncovered under the sands of the Southampton shore. It is a fascinating tale of the crew and two passengers who survived and made their way to Detroit. Another crew salvaged what it could and set the brig ablaze on the Southampton Beach.
Two hundred years later, evidence of the British-built ship caused waves of interest, when in 2001, tips of its frame pushed up through the beach sand, aided by low water levels and retreating ice. In 2004, the full excavation of the site was complete with help of the Southampton Marine Heritage Society, and several hundred volunteers who drew huge crowds to the dig site and started the search to identify the wreck. The hundreds of artifacts – military buttons, musket bayonet, cannon balls, and dishes – recovered helped identify the vessel as the HMS General Hunter. After service with the British Navy – including two Battle of 1812 skirmishes – the Hunter fell into American hands, winding up as a transport vessel after the war, eventuallyrunning aground on Southampton Beach. (Frances Learment, 2015, Shore Line Beacon)
History is not a burden on the memory
But an illumination of the soul.
Lord Acton
Sometime in the mid 1990’s the plumbing business once again moved down a generation into Rob’s hands. In 1999, Tam retired and soon moved to Hanover in 2003. Regrettably, in 2012 Tam suffered from, first a small stroke and then the next day, a massive stroke. This left Tam unable to eat, speak or move. Unable to live on his own, Tam was moved to Elgin Abbey where he has lived since.
Thomas “Tam” Graham Stevenson of Chesley, passed away at South Bruce Grey Health Centre, Chesley on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 in his 79th year.
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free,
I‘ve turned my back and left it all
I could not stay another day.
Beloved father of Pam (Robert) Bell and Rob Stevenson, all of Chesley. His memory will live on in his two grandsons, Zackary (Marnie) Bell of Chesley and Mackenzie Bell (Kendal Thomson) of Invermay. Tam loved seeing Wyatt, Emmett, Cooper and Bowen, his cherished great-grandsons, as they always brought a smile to his face. He will be sadly missed by his sister Marion (Bill) Tout of Palmerston and sister-in-law Donna (Jim) Hope of Toronto. Tam was predeceased by his brother George and his parents, Thomas (Tam Sr.) and Edith (Boyce) Stevenson.
Cremation has taken place with a private family inurnment to follow at the Chesley Cemetery.
Memorial donations to the Chesley Hospital Foundation would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
