Long-time city alderman and elementary school principal Rod Throndson died Sunday at the age of 75.
Throndson spent a week in the Sturgeon Community Hospital before succumbing to complications from pneumonia, his family said.
Throndson is survived by his wife of 49 years Betty, as well as two grown daughters Shawna Christensen, 47 and Terena LeCorre, 45. He also had three grandsons, aged 17, 15 and five.
Throndson spent 18 years on St. Albert's town and city councils from 1971 to 1989. He was a school principal for 37 years in St. Albert.
His family describe Throndson as a man with strong convictions who could engage anyone in conversation.
“He just had a way of getting people, including children, to open up to him,” Betty said. “He often used to get some pretty nice notes from parents, thanks for how he handled their child.”
Throndson's opinionated nature led him to run for council.
“It wasn't money. He didn't even know that they actually got a stipend for being on council,” Christensen said. “He cared and he wanted to make a difference.”
Throndson's proudest achievement during his council tenure was the construction of St. Albert Place, which opened in 1984. Throndson chaired the civic/cultural centre building committee board, which rallied community support for the controversial civic building.
Throndson also spent a lot of energy fighting amalgamation with Edmonton for fear that St. Albert would see an influx of heavy industry.
“He was determined that we'd never be part of Edmonton,” Christensen said.
“He was pretty passionate about that,” LeCorre said. “He was determined that he was going to keep [St. Albert] safe and healthy for his family and everybody else's family.”
While Throndson was opinionated and steadfast with his views, he also listened carefully to people and he respected their opinions, Christensen said.
That's also how former mayor Dick Fowler described Throndson.
“Ron was one extra fine councillor,” Fowler said. “He brought a very common-sense style. He was non-combative but when he felt strongly about an issue, he certainly let us know.”
Throndson grew up on a farm north of Camrose and spent his first teaching years at various schools in the area. After stops in Inuvik, New Sarepta and Wildwood, he settled in St. Albert in 1964. He was principal of Sir Alexander Mackenzie for eight years and Robert Rundle for 29, until his retirement in 2001.
Throndson told the Gazette at the time that one of his proudest achievements was his introduction of character education, which emphasized respect and responsibility in every aspect of life.
Former educator Gloria Gogowich worked with Throndson at Robert Rundle for about 10 years before becoming a principal herself.
“He always asked, ‘how will the children benefit from this decision?'” Gogowich said.
Throndson was also a forward-thinking innovator, she said. He formed a relationship with a Japanese elementary school long before it became a common practice. The students exchanged hand-written letters and art.
“My own kids went to [Rundle] and they haven't forgotten it,” Gogowich said.
Former superintendent Joe Demko remembers working with Throndson to hire teachers.
“It was very important to Rod that he had people ... who were really dedicated to helping kids,” Demko said.
Throndson was a member of the local Lions club since 1965, and served as president twice. He took an active role in every aspect of the club, said secretary Claude Carignan.
“He's going to be very missed,” he said.
A busy volunteer right to the end, Throndson was active with the St. Albert Retired Teachers Association and a passionate seniors' advocate through Public Interest Alberta.
A celebration of Throndson's life is scheduled for Sept. 3 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Albert's Arden Theatre.
