The occasional morning gathering for coffee and conversation at the local A&W will never be quite the same.
Sundre’s first, and to date only, resident to serve as a member of Parliament — Myron Thompson, who could frequently be found sitting at a table drinking coffee with people discussing everything from daily life to divisive issues — died this weekend following a battle with cancer.
Famous for donning a Stetson cowboy hat and unapologetically championing sometimes controversial causes, Thompson also served terms as a mayor as well as councillor of Sundre, and for years worked in education.
Sundre councillor Cheri Funke sat with Thompson on council, and fondly remembers a man she highly respected for being passionate about his convictions, even if she did not always agree with him.
"I miss the arguments," said Funke on Monday morning during a phone interview, adding she was "completely heartbroken" to hear the news of his passing.
"He was so passionate about what he was doing, no matter what it was — the river, taxes, or anything, he was just so passionate."
When both of them sat on the Sundre council for a term, Funke said it might have seemed as though she didn't agree with anything Thompson said, "but truthfully, he was an inspiring individual. He made you want to be better. Although he called me 'The Kid,' he treated me like a colleague."
Even when Thompson did not agree with her, he would listen and appreciate the information or perspective she brought to the table, she said.
"He had high expectations of everyone, regardless of what you were doing, he wanted you to be better."
Thompson would also especially enjoy spending time talking with friends, neighbours and constituents over a cup of coffee, even after stepping down from municipal politics in 2017.
"The people he left behind will truly miss him," said Funke.
Although his outspoken views against homosexuality and marriage equality as well as support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq created controversy, he more than once built bridges between parties on issues such as stricter child pornography laws and helping Alberta ranchers obtain hay from the east during a devastating drought in the early 2000s. He also fought relentlessly for flood mitigation funding to protect Sundre from the recurrent threat.
Originally from the U.S., Thompson briefly served in the military after a run for professional baseball.
After relocating to Sundre in the 1960s, he and his wife Dot set their roots deep and remained committed to the community ever since. Thompson leaves behind his wife, two sons Myron D. and Dennis, as well as grandchildren.
"We love him, and he will be dearly missed," said Funke.
Sundre's mayor Terry Leslie, who looked up to Thompson as a role model, shared his condolences and expressed thoughts and prayers for those who will cherish his memory.
"He touched the lives of people across the country in a fashion that only he could do. Nobody else could be Myron," said Leslie when contacted Monday morning.
"He actually saw things in people before they actually knew that they possessed skills and abilities. And he looked for the best in people," he said.
"He was my model of how to be a teacher and a principal and a politician, and the model of how you serve a community for your lifetime in whatever capacity you saw as your responsibility at that time in your life," said the mayor, expressing through tears a profound "gratitude for the 40 years that Myron was my mentor."
