Thomas “Tom” Howard Fitchett
Thomas “Tom” Howard Fitchett, age 62 of Fort McMurray, passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 from a heart attack.
Tom was born to Donald and Beatrice (née Barley) Fitchett on December 10, 1957 in Sarnia, Ontario. At the age of 22, he set out on an adventure with just the clothes on his back, including his prized jean jacket, and a few bucks in his pocket to make a life for himself out west. He settled in Fort McMurray and in 1979 he started his career with Syncrude as a power engineer. Tom welcomed “his boy” Daniel “Danny” Fitchett into the world in 1982. There could not have been a stronger love and connection between these two; they were one and the same. In 2004, he met Connie Dunphy, his best friend, his love, “his life,” in 2004. Along with her came the girls (Kona, Samantha, and Courtenay) who became like daughters to him. Later came Destenay, Theoren and Ellianna who called him grandpa. Tom retired in 2013, at age 55. and vowed never to drive Hwy 63 North again! He loved retirement and spent his days relaxing and enjoying time at home with “his peanut” Kallie and Diva.
Tom lived a simple life and that was the life he wanted. He enjoyed working in the yard, going for long drives, and getting new gadgets. He was always interested in the way things worked and fixing things so when he wasn’t working on a DIY project around the house, he would be watching the Discovery Channel. His main priority was looking after his family and he did everything he could to provide security and support for those he loved. Tom was the rock for all of us. He held us steady when times were hard and, boy, did we go through some hard times. He had an inner strength that held the whole family together no matter what happened. There are no words to describe how much Tom “babe” “dad” “grandpa” will be missed but his love was steadfast and this is something that we will always carry in our hearts.
Tom is survived by his loving spouse, Connie Dunphy; son, Danny (Telisha) Fitchett; step-daughters, Kona Stelfox, Samantha (Naveed) Sheikh, and Courtenay (Hasan) Badran; grandchildren Destenay, Theoren, and Ellianna; his brother Mike (Mary) Fitchett and his sister Linda Fitchett; his toy yorkies Kallie and Diva; and his beloved Cadillac.
Tom was predeceased by his father, Howard Fitchett; mother, Beatrice Fitchett; and his best friend Doug (Dougie) Barns.
A private memorial service was held on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 2:00pm at Trinity Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Fort McMurray United Way or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Worked with Tom for most of my time in Fort McMurray. Great guy and a great team mate. Our condolences.
Mitch & Anne Alexander
I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Tom. We worked together for many years in Secondary Upgrading, experiencing the camaraderie during the quiet times and relying on each other during the start’ups and shutdowns, the trips, fires, explosions. Tom was a great guy to have alongside you.
Condolences to his family.
Many memories of the early day’s working with Tom in Fort Mac! Cheers Tom! Rest in Peace. Condolences to the family.
My condolences. Worked with Tom for years. Always easy going, always helpful, always a pleasure to spend time with. Gone too soon.
Tom RIP my friend.You were a great dedicated worker and that was your lifestyle.We had great times together!
I’m very sorry to hear about Toms passing. I knew Tom from our time working at Syncrude, we attended his first wedding. Tom was an excellent Process Operator, we was very well respected for his knowledge., everyone had good things to say about Tom, he alway had a friendly smile and took the time to ask after our family. He will be missed. My deepest condolences to the family and Rest Easy my friend.
Deepest sympathy to the family Tom was an awesome person
Tom was very good for Syncrude, he was a very good Process Operator. It was a pleasure working with him, he had no enemies, he was fair, he worked hard, he was a great guy. I’m sorry to hear about this news of Toms death. Yeah, I sure liked him. Quite the Team we had actually. Yep, Tom will be missed, Rest In Peace Tom
Both me and my husband worked with Tom at the beginning of our careers at Syncrude. He was a good team mate, a unique and funny character that will be truly missed.
May he rest in peace; a good heart has stopped beating, a good soul ascended to heaven. Condolences to Tom’s family.
My sympathy goes out to Tom’s family. Tom was very well liked and respected by all.
My condolences to Tom’s family. I have lots of good memories of working with him. He was definitely a go to guy when troubleshooting was required on the units.
Hugh Quigley
Tom was always lots of fun to work with on shift or Turnarounds. Some Great memories…
Rest in Peace Tom,
Very sad to hear of Tom’s sudden passing. I worked with Tom for quite a few years. Great guy, great worker, great team mate. Condolences to the family.
Worked over 20years with Tom . Great team mate , never a dull moment with him RIP Tom , gone too soon . Condolences to his family
Tom was a good man and is gone too soon. We worked together more than 30 years and I appreciated knowing him and sharing some laughs. My condolences for your loss.
My condolences. Tom was a great team mate and a fountain of knowledge that he was always happy to share. He will be missed.
Tom was my first Leader at Syncrude 13 years ago. He passed down a wealth of knowledge to me and was also a great mentor. Tom looked out for us at work and we will miss him. Condolences to the family and rest in peace Tom.
My condolences and R.I.P Tom. He was a great man always cheerful and ready to share a laugh, always open to listen to a story or had a story to tell of his own. He was like a father to me in many ways. It saddens me to hear of his passing. He truly was a genuine person, big heart and a bright strong soul.
My deepest condolences to all of Tom’s family and friends. We worked together for 20 years and he was an awesome teammate and great all around guy. We survived many a hair raising experience while working together but I knew I could always count on him.