Obituary of Neal Rees Thomson

It is with loving memories that we announce the passing of Neal Rees Thomson, 90, of Coquitlam, BC on May 5, 2017. Having lost his wife four days previously, and having been so close to her in life, the Lord has given him the privilege of joining her so soon. He was born in Brisbane, Australia on the 18th of January 1927. At the age of 14 he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. He mentions in his memoirs that the next day he rose earlier than normal and prayed and read his Bible. From there on he resolved to get up at 6am every day to read and pray and he faithfully continued to do this until his failing health impeded him. Reading the book of Acts he understood his need to be baptized, and as he read through Romans, he learnt the reality of a changed life. He was baptized at age 15 in the assembly that meets at Conference Hall in Brisbane, Australia. He trained as a dentist at the University of Queensland graduating with honours in 1948. He joined the Dental Faculty as a Lecturer-Demonstrator in 1948. During 1949 he worked at the Brisbane Dental Hospital and also spent a month in Mackay to relieve a sick dentist in his Private Clinic. He also made a four week visit to Doomadgee, an aboriginal community in the Australian outback. During the day he provided free dental work and also assisted during morning and evening meetings for adults and children. After returning from Doomadgee he took employment with another General Dentist. During all this time he was actively engaged in preaching and gospel tract distribution in the Brisbane area. From a very young age he was greatly exercised about gospel outreach. He had been in contact with Mr. Moss, a true pioneer taking the gospel to North Queensland. He expressed his exercise to the elders of his assembly at Conference Hall and they spent several months praying about it. They communicated with other assemblies and in August 1950 Neal was commended to the Work of the Lord by several assemblies of the area. He was actively engaged in this work until 1956 when he expressed to his elders his interest to labour as a missionary in Venezuela. He had been given a book as a Sunday School student: “It Can Be Done” by William Williams about assembly gospel work in Venezuela. This led him to correspond with Mr Williams and Mr Saword and he felt the Lord was leading him to this country. The elders at Conference Hall were in agreement and together with other assemblies they commended him to the work of the Lord in Venezuela in April 1956. He arrived in Venezuela the 15th of August 1956. There he met Alice Broadhead who had been commended two years earlier to direct the Home for Aged Christians of the Assemblies (Puerto Cabello). They married in July 1957 and together were confirmed in their commendation to the Lord’s work from the original commending assemblies. During the early years of his missionary work he engaged in pioneer gospel work mainly in Western Venezuela. Going into new areas and building up local assemblies. Even though he was by training a dentist, as a missionary he became a builder and general self-taught handyman. Several Venezuelan Gospel Halls had his direct input in strenuous manual labor. Several portable halls were manufactured and built by him; some of these are still in use today. In later years, he was engaged more in publishing of gospel papers and bible teaching literature. Also he spent more time in itinerant bible teaching visiting assemblies across Venezuela and attending Bible conferences. He wrote several books during this time including a history of assembly work in Venezuela. Additionally he prepared several charts for the gospel and for ministry and he completed a scale model of the tabernacle which was used several times in series of ministry meetings. They both continued on, actively engaged in this work until approximately 2009. After this date they visited Venezuela for short periods, always having a heart for the work there. Neal will be greatly missed by his sons George (Darsy) and Edward (Aligda) and seven grandchildren: Michael, Mathew, Mirabel, Neal Jr, Helen, Melissa and Edward Jr. He will also be lovingly remembered by his sister Joan Rosie. Neal was predeceased by his brother Sir Evan Thomson; and brother-in-law, Dan Rosie and sister-in-law Lady Mary Thomson. The Funeral Service will be held jointly with his late wife Alice at 11:00 am on Friday, May 12, 2017 at the South Burnaby Gospel Hall, 6907 Elwell St, Burnaby, with interments to follow at 1:30 pm at the Surrey Centre Cemetery, 16671 Old McLellan Rd, Surrey.