Thomas
Edmund Oram was born in Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Orillia, Ontario, Canada at about 8am on the 23rd of
August 1931.
At that time
his parents, Frank and Rosemary Oram, lived on the Severn River in Woods Bay, between Severn Falls and The Big Chute. A few
years later they moved to Severn Falls. Ed began school in a new one room school house in Severn
Falls at the age of five.
When World War 11
broke out Frank enlisted in the Army. Rosemary and Ed moved to Toronto to be closer to Frank who was based there. They spent
their summers in the house at Severn Falls. Ed went to school in Toronto until grade 6. They moved to Callender, Ontario when
Frank was posted to North Bay. Ed completed grade 8. At that time the war was over and Frank was made foreman on the Canadian
Pacific Railway section at Bala, Ontario. Ed began grade 9 (High School) in Gravenhurst (17 miles away, the closest), which
meant riding a school bus daily. Now being 14 years of age he continued high school until grade 11.
On his 19th
Birthday Ed joined the army was assigned to the Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry at Currie Barracks in Calgary,
Alberta, where he completed basic and advanced training, and excelled as a Marksman and on to Fort Lewis, Washington
where he underwent Special Forces training. He then shipped out to Japan and Korea in February, 1951. He served as a
front line soldier for 16 months and participated in the now famous Battle of Kapyong. His unit received the United States
Presidential Citation for outstanding bravery.
After returning
to Canada he completed training as a paratrooper. His next assignment was to Dielinghofen, Germany where a new camp was being
built to serve his battalion on occupation duty. During his many leaves to London he met and then married Betty Wooldridge
in 1954. Ed decided peacetime army was not for him and knew that he could do better as a civilian. Ed and his wife sailed
to Canada, where he obtained an honourable discharge. Initially they lived with his parents in Bala, then Ed worked for the
Canadian Pacific Railway as a clerk in Orillia, Ontario. A son Larry was born in Bracebridge, Ontario after Betty spent the
last month of her pregnancy in Bala with Eds Mother. Ed was then transferred to Port Hope were Ed and Betty broke up. Betty
returned to her parents in London where the twins David and Jamie were born.
Ed was advancing
his career in CP and moved to the regional head office in Toronto. Later, unable to keep up with the three children, Betty
sent Larry to Canada to live with his grandparents. After a divorce, Ed met and married Eleanore Hill (nee Pawson), whose
husband had died in a car accident. Larry then came to live with them in Mississauga. After several advancements, Ed was made
District Manager in Windsor, Ontario for one year where a daughter Janis was born. Then he became District Manager in Toronto
where another daughter, Karin was born. His advancements continued as he traveled North America training marketing, sales
and management personnel. He then was sent to Montreal (Canadian Pacific Head Office) to carry out special assignments. He
eventually joined a new CP organization know as Canadian Pacific Consulting Services, which providing technical and training
expertise to developing nations. Ed traveled the world extensively for 16 years as trainer, technical advisor, Project Manager
and then Project Executive. He carried out projects in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia funded by the World Bank, CIDA, UNDP
and sometimes in joint venture with European firms.
After retiring
in 1992, he and Eleanore moved to Barrie, Ontario to live the good life, and indeed they are. Eleanore
was active in volunteering at the local hospital (17 yrs), blood donor clinics and the church. Ed is a member of Kiwanis International
and the Barrie Veterans Club, and had volunteered at the local hospital for 10 years. He is presently
active on the Internet and had designed several websites for non-profit organizations. One of the highlights of
2003 for Ed is a hole-in-one in August .
As of 2010, they are living in
relatively good health and enjoying the benefits of their work and family.
