THOMAS JAN PICK

1944 - 2024

Died peacefully, from complications due to scleroderma on November 25, 2024. Thomas was born in 1944 in Sherbrooke, Quebec, the child of Jewish refugees from Czechoslovakia. He attended Bishops College School and graduated from Bishops University in 1966 before earning an MBA from the University of Toronto. He spent most of his career at Mutual Life and then at Rae & Lipskie in Kitchener, where he helped thousands of people achieve financial security through their pension plans. An avid fisherman, canoeist and skier, Thomas was never happier than when schussing down a slope or casting a fly. His charitable impact was vast, especially where related to protecting the environment and wilderness he loved. He served on the Board of Directors of Ducks Unlimited and the Grand River Conservation Authority, among many others. Predeceased by his parents, Jan and Liska; and his brother, Michael; Thomas is survived by Margot, his wife of 51 years; his daughters, Alison (Eric O'Brien) and Emily (Andrew Duggan); and his beloved granddaughters, Ayla and Tabitha. The family thanks Dr. Janet Pope, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at St. Joseph's Health Care in London, and the staff at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener for their exceptional care. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made directly to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-you-can-do/donate/), the bursary fund at the Bishops University Foundation (www.ubishops.ca/gift) or through the funeral home's website at www.erbgood.com. A funeral service will be held at the Erb & Good Funeral Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo, on Saturday, December 7th, at 2:00 p.m. For those who are unable to attend in person, a livestream link will be available on Thomas' tribute page at www.erbgood.com. There will also be an informal gathering to remember Thomas in North Hatley in the summer, with details to follow. Baruch Dayan Ha' Emet. May his memory be for a blessing.