Sally Cameron Thompson

On April 4th, 2026, the girl from Toronto & Ottawa passed on in the same way she lived; surrounded by family and with gratitude for her long and blessed life. We will forever hold a place at the table for Sally, Mum/Mom, Nana, Aunt Sally.

Sally was a strong, adventurous and feisty lady who faced life head-on. Her creativity, problem-solving and strength of character allowed her to meet the challenges of an aging body and mind with positivity and gratitude. When asked how she was doing, her response was usually, “PDG. Pretty Damn Good”.

Predeceased by her husband Gordon (September 2022), Sally leaves her daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren with the gift of many cherished family traditions and memories: Tracey (Russ), Meg (Mike), Wendy in spirit (Rick) and grandsons Oliver, Ethan and Calvin. She will be dearly missed and always remembered.

A bit more about Sally...

Born in Toronto during the latter part of “the Great Depression,” to Adelaide (Ad) Wilson and Donald (Shorty) MacDonald, Sally was surrounded by her tight knit families who helped shape her awareness of, and life long commitment to, the importance of family, community and caring for others. This foundation would become even more important with the onset of WW II.

In 1939, Sally's parents made the ultimate sacrifice when Shorty volunteered to contribute to the war effort. Both Ad and Shorty's families would step in to help out. Despite Sally's father's absence, Sally experienced great joy when her beloved Granny Sara Wilson moved in to support Sally (age 3), her dear sister Tibby (age 1) and her Mom. The fellowship of belonging to a church community also played an important role in the MacDonald family life during these war years; a role that continued for the rest of her life.

In 1948, Sally's family moved to Ottawa where Sally experienced many new adventures. She excelled in both athletic pursuits and high school (Lisgar Collegiate Institute) and somehow found time to surround herself with a large group of friends who she remained close with throughout her life.

As Sally was finishing high school, she made the biggest and most important decision of her life: to move to Montreal to train as a nurse. Smart and always adventurous, she found a new community of friends in the Royal Victoria Hospital nursing program, attended nursing parties with doctors and enjoyed ski trips to the Laurentian Mountains.

During a swimming party at the pool on the grounds of the Royal Vic, Sally's life would change forever - she secured a date with Gordon Bruce Thompson, a neurosurgeon in training at the Montreal Neurological Institute. This date led to their marriage in April 1959. In May 1960, the newly weds would soon leave Montreal to pursue a new life in Vancouver where Gordon started his career as a neurosurgeon at VGH. Always courageous, Sally, at the tender age of 24, packed her bags to start a completely new life on the beautiful West Coast. What an adventure it was; 40 wonderful years in Vancouver raising her three girls - Tracey, Meg and Wendy.

Sally was a “getter done kind of gal,” always fearless in new situations and easily made new friends. Sally found fellowship at St. Mary's Anglican Church in Kerrisdale and through her prayer group in Vancouver. To Sally's great joy, her parents, sister Tibby and brother Tom all moved to B.C. where over many happy years, they raised their families. Strong family bonds were created and continue to this day. 

During their retirement, Gordon and Sally moved to Craig Bay, Parksville to be closer to their three girls and their families where they enjoyed 19 wonderful years exploring the island, golfing, and building new friendships. Together, their final stop was 8 years living at Shannon Oaks in Victoria, where they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and more. Two days short of her 90th birthday, Sally passed peacefully after a short illness. She is now with Gordon and Wendy. As one of Mom's friend's shared: Think of the greeting line awaiting Sally. It must have been joyful.