Thomas (Tom) Byers Obituary Lovingly remembered by his family, Toms last days were travelling happily with friends of many years, to Springfield, Massachusetts, sharing their life long hobby of model railroad layouts. He leaves behind his wife of 53 years, Janice ("Jan"), his daughter, Sandra (Lee), grandson Connor, brother, Calvin (Joanna), niece, Courtney (CJ), nephew, Brendan, grandniece (Aspen). Tom was born in Timmins, Ontario and moved with his family to Winnipeg, Vancouver and finally, Toronto. He attended Waterloo University, where he achieved his life long goal of becoming a Professional Engineer. While there, he met his soon-to-be wife; it was love at first sight, and they were married six months later. As a Mechanical Engineering Manager, he loved to build things. His work took him into deserts and across the Arctic circle, working on projects in Canada, the U.S., the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa. The family lived a number of years in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and north Africa. Tom and Jan were grateful for 18 years of happy retirement on Vancouver Island, with many travels, including a trip to Russia (2012), and later to Australia for their 50th anniversary (2022). Tom was a passionate model railroader - researching and reproducing the 1930s B.C. steam engine era on his layout. He connected with many other model railroaders in Calgary, on Vancouver Island, and in the U.S. Also, he loved meeting with his coffee buddies, and for many years enjoyed volunteering with the local Food Bank. As per Toms wishes, there will not be a memorial service. The family kindly requests donations be made in his honour to the Parksville Salvation Army Foodbank and/or the Heart & Stroke Foundation.