Aherne, Thomas Joseph

Thomas Joseph Aherne was born in Montreal, Quebec on 22 January 1958 to Michael and Margaret Aherne. He had five siblings: Mary, Breeda, James, Kathleen, and Margaret. His passions in life were learning, teamwork, taking on challenges, and teaching others. His pursuit of those passions led to a 21-year long career in the Canadian Military, where he served in the Royal Canadian Regiment, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and the Canadian Airborne Regiment. He earned many achievements, awards, and honours. In 1984, he completed qualifications to become a course instructor. His leadership qualities and mastery of many military skills led to his appointment to the elite units Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) and Joint Task Force 2 (JTF-2). After he retired from the Canadian Armed Forces with the rank of Warrant Officer in 1997, he started his own electrical contracting business based in Calgary, Alberta. He was previously married to Pamela Jill Plummer. He later married Maureen McKee. He died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 59 on 18 October 2017.