Thomas “Tom” Albert Norquay was born in Selkirk in 1925. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force before opening the town’s first optometrist office and remained a respected community professional until his death in 1979.
Early Life
Thomas (Tom) Albert Norquay was born in Selkirk in 1925. He attended Devonshire Collegiate Institute for high school where he played basketball along with fellow future Dufferin Gang members, Siggi Goodbrandson and Paul Henrikson.
Military Career
After graduating high school, Tom enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he trained in Toronto. His brother, Jack also joined the RCAF No. 77 Squadron in England, while Tom was never shipped overseas.
Post Military Career
After the war ended, Tom married Gladys Elin Thorsteinson on August 29th, 1947, at the First Icelandic Lutheran Church in Winnipeg. A reception followed at the Marlborough Hotel and the couple left shortly afterwards for a trip to Toronto. They settled in Winnipeg for few years while before moving to Selkirk. While in Winnipeg they had their first child, Mary Elin Louise in 1949. They then had 4 more children, Chuck Norquay, Susan, Thor, and Scott.
Tom attended the University of Toronto where he earned a four-year degree in Optometry. Afterwards, he completed a one-year internship in Winnipeg to receive a Manitoba Certificate in Optometry. Additionally, he accepted post graduate work in contact lenses and school survey which enabled him to conduct eye exams, visual training, and prescribe glasses. He then opened the first optometrist office in Selkirk.
Tom Norquay passed away in 1979 at the age of 54 and is buried at Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens in Winnipeg.
Tom Norquay Collection
Click on images to enlarge
Lord Selkirk Suburban Schools' Boys' Basketball Championship, 1942, Winnipeg Tribune
Sources
Scott Norquay
Selkirk Journal, 1993
Winnipeg Free Press, 1947
Winnipeg Tribune, 1942, 1947, 1949
Selkirk Enterprise, 1953
Thomas A. Norquay, Ancestry.ca
