Gordon Vivian Thompson, beloved husband of Pat, passed away on May 3, 2012 at the age of 77. Gordon was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1935 and was diagnosed with Thrombocytopenia as a young man in his thirties. Although he recovered from the condition after a lengthy illness, towards the end of his life he encountered further health problems related to anemia.

Gordon enjoyed a life filled with music and many diverse pastimes. With family and friends, he appreciated all kinds of music from classical and jazz to the Welsh choirs of his hometown. He was an avid baker and decorator of wedding cakes, and his outdoor pursuits included rugby and gardening, with a particular fondness for daffodils. His sporting interests also extended to curling and darts.

Gordon will be dearly missed by his family and friends. In memory of Gordon, his family wishes to support research on blood disorders at UBC.

A blood disorder first affected Gordon’s life when he was in his thirties, with anemia-related health problems recurring towards the end of his life. The Centre for Blood Research (CBR) at UBC, founded in 2002, is the largest interdisciplinary blood research centre in the world.

The 45 investigators at the Centre for Blood Research strive tirelessly to better understand blood and blood-related disorders in the pursuit of health. They have made major advances to date, but there is still much more to be done. Your support will create a more productive and efficient research and clinical environment so that, for instance, fewer patients with cancer will die due to fatal blood clots that travel to the lungs or children with hemophilia will not require daily injections of blood clotting factors, among many other important advances.

Your gift will help improve the health and well-being of patients – like Gordon – by supporting innovative research in blood and blood-related processes.