Jun 21, 1935 - Nov 24, 2017
On November 24, 2017, Thomas George Drummond finally "slipped the surly bonds of Earth" and ended his long struggle with cancer.
Born on June 21, 1935, Tom grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and studied as a cadet at both Royal Roads in Victoria, B.C. and RMC in Kingston, Ontario. He was a graduate of both UBC and MIT, and he served in the Canadian Navy for 16 years, eventually obtaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. His career was broad and distinguished, and began with a posting after RMC to the experimental lab on the Avro Arrow project. With a specialty as a naval architect, he also participated in the design of the DH-280 warship program and he was design overseer of the Bra D'Or hydrofoil project, FHE-400, the world's fastest warship of its day.
In his civilian career, Tom was employed at DREA in Dartmouth, N.S. in the role of defense scientist, eventually becoming a lab section head in hydronautics. Tom's job included a posting as Counsellor for Defense Research at the Canadian High Commission in London, England, and was followed by his appointment to DND headquarters as the Director of International Research and Development.
Tom was posted internationally a second time to Washington, D.C. as Counsellor of Defense Research and Development. His final and most difficult assignment during his working life was overseeing the closure of the defense research lab in Victoria, DREP.
Predeceased by his wife Terry and his daughter Susan, Tom's wit, sense of humour, and passion for creating beautiful woodworking projects will be sorely missed by his remaining three daughters Kathy (Ian), Lois, and Lisa (John) as well as his four grandchildren.
Memories about Tom can be shared at 6334 Lansdowne Place, Duncan B.C. from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday Jan. 20, 2018.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Condolences may be offered online at www.sandsduncan.ca
Sands Funeral Chapel