Thomas J. Stack

Thomas J. Stack “Pop”, age 73, passed away peacefully on 7 November 2025 at the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital in Vaughan, Ontario, after a short, but courageous, battle with metastatic lung cancer. Tom was born on 2 June 1952 to Gerald and Winifred (Merrill) Stack. He spent the first 18 years of his life in Wallingford, Vermont, graduating from Wallingford High School in 1970. Upon graduation, Tom enlisted in the American Navy and served as a radioman/barber on the USS Paul. Tom earned the National Defense Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal, with Combat Action Ribbon, prior to his honorable discharge from the Navy in July 1974.

Pop developed his love for travel through his service in the US Navy. He traveled all over the globe, from the Seychelles in the south Pacific to Angola in Central Africa, Hong Kong in China, and beyond. That experience cemented his belief that travelling is the best education, a lesson he passed on to his two sons.

In 1974, Tom enrolled at the University of Vermont, then transferred to Concordia University in Montreal in 1975. He married Sylvie Lachapelle from Montreal, Canada that June, worked at Allied Chemical and continued his studies, graduating from Concordia in June 1979 with a BA in Political Science. Tom worked at the Montreal Shipping Company upon graduation until 1983, when he and Sylvie moved to Toronto.

Tom worked at several companies in the Greater Toronto area throughout his career. His longest tenure was as VP of sales and marketing at the Benjamin Moore & Co. Ltd. from 1995 to 2006. In that capacity, Tom traveled extensively around the world, from Yellowknife to Hong Kong and Paris.

Tom was passionate about his work in marketing and sales. His positive influence and insight helped the careers and lives of the many people he came across in business. Tom was seen as a leader and mentor eager to help those who needed it. He made others feel recognized and their contribution appreciated.

In 2010, Tom successfully completed a Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Tom and Sylvie had two sons, Travis, born in 1987, and Terrance, born in 1993. Tom is survived by his two sons, Travis and his wife Eileen of Chuncheon, South Korea and Terrance of Maple, Ontario, and his precious granddaughter, Amicia Jo Stack, born to Travis and Eileen on July 25, 2025. Tom is also survived by his two sisters, Elizabeth (Stack) Doty and Jeanne (Stack) Haley, his aunt Rebecca (Merrill) Sabol, several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was pre-deceased by his parents and his twin brother, James, who passed away in 2014.

Tom will be remembered for his intellect, his sense of humor, and his passion for ideas, like art and beauty. He enjoyed talking about ideas from the Renaissance to business. His passion for art was expressed through his time volunteering at the McMichael Canadian art collection in Kleinburg, Ontario and being a member of the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. We will miss going to art exhibitions with him and grabbing a meal afterward at the nearest restaurant.

We will always remember him for his teachings regarding happiness as excellence in accordance with virtue. Pop always maintained high ideals about manhood and leadership. He strived to be the best version of himself every day. Tom cared about presentation; he dressed well even if he had no appointment or anywhere to go because dressing well made him feel good.

Tom’s greatest achievement was raising two boys, now men, who exemplify the principles he himself personified.

Tom will be interred at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, in Wallingford, Vermont, his hometown. Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized but will take place in Spring or Summer 2026.