Thomas Norman Tullock, cherished resident of Oshawa, Ontario, died on March 21, 2026. He was born on March 29, 1951, to Fred and Mary Tullock, the middle child in a family of three boys. He was predeceased by his brothers, Joe and Dave, and carried the weight of those losses quietly, as men of his generation often did. But he was not a man who held things in. He loved deeply, openly, and without reservation.
In 1976, Tom wed Gwendolyn, his closest friend. Their marriage, which lasted for over 50 years, was based on cooperation, humor, and the type of understanding that comes from living together. He never allowed her to forget that she was the love of his life. Their love was the sort that others admired and aspired to; it was unwavering and genuine, withstanding anything that came their way.
He was a father to Lisa and Chris, and a father-in-law to Mark, who had been married to Tom’s beloved daughter Stacey before she passed. Stacey was gone too soon, and Tom carried that loss with him always, but he never stopped being a father to her husband, never stopped showing up, never stopped loving the way he always had. His family was everything to him. They knew it, felt it, lived it.
From the beginning, Tom was an outdoor enthusiast. He had a devotion to the Blue Jays and Maple Leafs that only a genuine fan can comprehend. He spent long days in the woods and on the lake with his lifelong pals, Alex and Gary, and enjoyed hunting and fishing. These were the friendships that last for decades, the ones that are stable, dependable, and don’t need to be discussed all the time. Because that was the type of man Tom was, when he wasn’t in the field or on the lake, he was watching games with his friend Chad, Chris’s friend who later became his friend. He made everyone feel included, accepted, and like family.
He was a man of simple pleasures and deep loves. He loved his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his friends. He loved the crack of a bat, the weight of a fishing rod, the quiet of a forest before dawn. He loved a good game, a good laugh, a good story. He was the middle child who grew up to be the center of his own family, the anchor that held them steady.
Tom will be forever missed by Gwen, his wife of nearly 50 years, and by his children Lisa and Chris. He is survived by his son-in-law Mark, who loved him as a father, and by all the friends who shared his passions and his years. He was preceded in death by his daughter Stacey, his brothers Joe and Dave, and his parents, Fred and Mary.
He was 74 years old when he died, on March 21, 2026, just days before his birthday. He would have been 75 on March 29. His family will mark that day without him, but they will also remember the man who showed up, who loved fiercely, who taught them what it meant to be loyal and kind and present. They will remember the outdoorsman, the fan, the husband, the father, the friend. They will carry him forward, in the stories they tell and the love they share, until they see him again.
