Horace Thorne was passionate about Trinidad & Tobago culture
January 20, 2023
As part of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (TCC) contingent that went to Hong Kong in 2005 to celebrate the Lunar New Year, Jean Turner sat next to Horace Thorne on the 15-hour flight.
“I met him for the first time a few weeks earlier as he took the photos of us in costumes,” recalled Turner. “The next thing you know is we are sitting side by side on this long flight. I asked myself,’ Why am I sitting next to this red man?’ He must have sensed what I was thinking as he said, “I love people and don’t worry.”
From that moment, they became close friends.
Trinidad & Tobago Association of Ontario (TTAO) executive members Jean Turner (l) & Horace Thorne (r) flank awardees Stanley Gittens and Maurice Richards at the August 2017 brunch (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
He served as President of the Trinidad & Tobago Association of Ontario (TTAO) and she is the Vice-President.
Thorne died at home on January 10 after a lengthy illness. He was 85.
Turner spoke with him three days before his death.
“I made some fried bakes, accra saltfish and sorrel and his son picked it up,” she said. “Horace called me after he got the package to say how thankful he was and we talked for quite a bit. He was a leader, very hard worker, a community man and someone who gives willingly. He was the first one to stand up and take a leadership role in organizing relief for Trinidad & Tobago whenever there was a major flood or some effort to help citizens in need.”
TTAO President Horace Thorne presented a Community Award to now retired Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Ingrid Berkeley-Brown in August 2018 (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
A firefighter in T & T in the 1960s, Thorne played steelpan with Pan Am North Stars and the legendary George Bailey band and volunteered with the Red Cross and Boy Scouts before coming to Canada in 1969 and becoming involved with the TCC.
He was Parade Marshal for 12 years and security head for 17 years.
In 2013, Thorne (r) honoured former TTAO Presidents Carl Cox (l), Edwin Terry, Patrick Donatien and Dennis Bedeau at a 2013 carnival brunch (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
An avid photographer, Thorne documented the festival, compiling an extensive archive of carnival photos.
“Horace cared a lot about his culture and those photos are an important part of our history,” said educator Henry ‘Cosmos’ Gomez. “He was also very nationalistic and took every opportunity, through the organizing of flag-raising events and other activities, to ensure that the twin-islands republic was not lost in the diaspora.”
A recipient of the Ontario Volunteer Service Award in 2018, the former Peel Multicultural Council member and George Brown College graduate spent 17 years with Rothmans and 14 years with the Toronto Transit Commission before retiring in 2008.
Community Award recipients Manny Dick and Rita Cox with TTAO President Horace Thorne (l) and then T & T Consul General Dr. Vidya Gyan Tota-Maharaj in July 2015 (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
Thorne is survived by his wife of 60 years, Grace, and his children.
“My dad was very militant about his culture, he was a community builder and he cared deeply about building alliances,” said Vancouver Film School graduate Lincoln ‘Linx’ Thorne who resides in British Columbia.
The viewing and funeral take place on Saturday, January 21 at Glendale Funeral Home & Cemetery, 1810 Albion Rd. in Etobicoke, starting at 2 p.m. The body will be cremated on January 26.
Thorne is the third TTAO member to pass away in the last two months. Volunteers Leon Johnson and Maurice Richards died in November.
TTAO President Horace Thorne (c) presented Community Awards to former T & T Consul General Michael Lashley (l) and Linden King in July 2016 (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
His death comes three weeks after the passing of Cajuca Mas Arts Producers co-founder Jackie Forde who, with her husband Clarence Forde, started the organization in 1990.
