Thorngate, Warren Bayley
1944 – 2025
It is with the greatest of sadness I announce the death of Warren Thorngate at the Ottawa Heart Institute on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Warren was predeceased by his parents, Mitchell and Edith Thorngate, his Aunt Betty Green, and his cousins Jay and Larry Green. He is survived by his sister Linda Canonzeri and his cousins Scott (Cathy) and Glen (Lynne) Green. He will be sadly missed by his dear friend of 60 years, Johanna Filp.
Warren and I shared our lives for 43 years. He was the love of my life, the kindest and gentlest of souls, with a beautiful, brilliant, incisive, and creative mind and a huge, soft, compassionate heart. He was humble and quiet, with great humour and a fine sense of the absurd. He valued loyalty highly, and gave generously of his time, expertise, counsel, support to those he cared about.
Warren spent his career as Professor of Social Psychology at Carleton University. He was a wonderful researcher, but his even greater love was teaching. For him teaching was performance art, and he played it to perfection. For most of his career Warren sought out international students from countries such as Iceland, Jamaica, Japan, Italy, China, Iran, Chile, Argentina, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia. He took his students under his wing and mentored them, not only academically, but in adapting to Canada, and thriving in their personal lives. He very often transformed their lives, by accepting and encouraging them to be themselves. It gave him great pleasure to see his students blossom and thrive, and he was proud of them all. He kept in contact with most of his former students as personal friends, some for over 40 years, and many for over 30 years. In return, they shared their friendship, families, and cultures, and enriched his life beyond what he ever could have imagined.
I grieve Warren very deeply and, as I do, I also reap the benefits of the way he lived his life. I am part of a sizeable grieving community of friends, former students, and family. Together we will keep him alive in our hearts, minds and souls, and support each other as we heal our broken hearts.
Warren requested an informal, outdoor gathering to share stories. This will occur in late spring and notification will be sent out. In the meantime, any charitable donations in Warren’s name should be sent to the Mississippi Mills Public Library in Almonte, ON.
Funeral Arrangements Entrusted Into The Care Of
C.R. Gamble Funeral Home & Chapel Inc.
(127 Church St., Almonte, ON. 613-256-3313)
Condolences & Tributes: www.crgamble.com
