Born on March 22, 1935, Allan was the first child of Grace (née Mainwaring) and Kermit Thornley. He was also a son of British Columbia – Ladysmith and Vancouver Island were both forever dear to him. After high school, Allan attended Victoria College, and then pursued a BA in English and history at UBC. Following that, he took teacher training and had a short-lived teaching career and an even shorter stint in accounting. He then became a driver for the circulation department of the Nanaimo Daily Free Press. In 1962, Allan received a job offer with the National Research Council (NRC) as a proofreader and copy editor for the NRC Research Press, then the leading publisher of scientific journals in Canada. By this time, Allan had started a family with his Scottish-born wife Maria and children Catherine, Elizabeth and Brian.

Settled in Ottawa, Allan’s career with the federal government continued. After the NRC, he moved to Manpower and Immigration before joining the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), where he would work from 1969 until 1995. Allan’s work was a passion that combined his love of words, language, politics, and social justice. CIDA offered a home for this passion, where Allan was the designated speechwriter for CIDA presidents. Additionally, he also wrote for ministers, senior government officials, and the occasional prime minister.

Allan's words more than anyone else's defined successive governments' engagement in development cooperation. His speeches found audiences in prestigious venues in Canada and around the world. Along the way – and despite an always hectic schedule – Allan helped mentor countless young officers at CIDA, earning him a well-deserved reputation for his thoughtfulness, kindness, and generosity.

So it is with sadness and love that we share news of the passing of Theodore Allan Thornley on December 3, 2021, peacefully at home. Allan was predeceased by his wife Maria. He will be missed by his children Catherine (Harold Klunder), Elizabeth (Denis Thivierge), Brian (Shirley Chambers), and his grandchildren Willem, Elizabeth (Jonathan), Saskia (Michael), Nicolas, Maxime, Christine and Scott. He is survived by his loving sisters Eilene Bayer (Tom), Beryl Feser (Paul), and his loving brother Kermit (Anita).