Occupation: Mathematician

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Born in Regina.  Grew up in Vancouver.  School at UBC and Brown University.  Taught at MIT, UBC, and Northeastern Univ. in Boston.  Now I live in Princeton New Jersey.

Occupation: Farmer

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My name is Terry Goresky, I am one of 3 children born to Allan Goresky.  I was born in Stonewall, Manitoba and raised on the family farm that my Grandfather Basil started.  In 1977  I took over the farm and went into partnership with my father, Allan.  I still farm the land and own a home on the farm.

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Walter Goresky biography: click here:  Walt 

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Carl Goresky biography click here:  Carl 

Carl Goresky biography/obituary from the introduction of his book, click here:   Carl2

Occupation: Federal Government

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I was born in Winnipeg Manitoba and raised 4 miles north east of Stonewall , Manitoba on the family farm.

I work for the Federal Government of Canada, and reside in USA along the North Dakota border.  I have 2 children, Jacqueline 13 and Marcus 10, and a step daughter Alexis 12.  My husband Ed works for the Department of Homeland Security.

 

Occupation: Project Support Specialist

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I am the youngest of three children born to Allan and Betty Goresky. I grew up on the family farm just outside of Stonewall.  I'm married to Phillip Place and we have three children, Lauren 28, Derrick 24 and Abby 12. I also have one grandson, Renley 2.  Since 2000 I have worked for Naylor Canada which is located in Winnipeg. I currently reside on the family farm at the homestead. (Dad and Mom's house).

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HARVEY THOMMASEN
 Harvey Thommasen, was the second son of Ora [Goresky] and William ‘Bill’ Thommasen. He was born October 23rd, 1957 and is still alive and well.  His earliest memories were those from New Denver, British Columbia – a rural remote community located on the shores of a large lake surrounded by big mountains.   Harvey inherited the fishing gene, and this gene has affected his behavior his entire life.  His mother Ora reports that when Harvey was 4 or 5 years old he wandered off with a small red wagon.  When people realized he was gone, they began frantically looking around for him.  While they were looking, Harvey arrived back with the wagon and a gold fish which he had taken from the town’s gold fish pond located in the heart of New Denver.  No one knows how he caught this fish. His father made him return the goldfish – Harvey was not impressed.  He has chased fish ever since.  When Harvey was five years old, the family moved to Youbou in Vancouver island.  There Harvey learned to catch trout in the Cowichan lake, in the local streams, and in the surrounding alpine lakes.  He was an undersized active boy who enjoyed all kinds of sports such as baseball, hockey, soccer, and rugby. But most of all he enjoyed hiking and exploring the mountains – usually alone.  He nearly drowned a few times (his Grade 12 locker partner was not so lucky); he nearly died from an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting; he survived a severe dog mauling and more than a few bear and elk encounters; he survived a hitch-hiking ‘attack’; he survived falling asleep at the wheel on graduation night and driving off the road; he survived a few hypothermic camping trips; and he had to go to court because he nearly killed someone in a fist fight.  Despite all this, Harvey managed to graduate from the local Lake Cowichan Senior Secondary High School in 1975  -- the year it lost it’s accreditation.  After graduating from High School Harvey spent a year of working here and there --- Lloydminister (post man and municipal labourer); Mackenzie (sawmill worker); Lake Cowichan (Cedar Shake Mill) and finally the Youbou Sawmill when he was old enough to be hired. He saved up his money and went off to McGill University where he got a BSc in Ecology (taking as many fish courses as he could).  There he met the woman of his dreams --- a brilliant and beautiful blonde-haired, blue eyed, athletic babe – who said she would not mind spending her life with someone who liked to fish a lot.  When he graduated in 1980 from McGill University, Harvey decided that what he would like most of all is to live in rural British Columbia where the fishing was even better than what he was used to on Vancouver Island.  Harvey decided that the best way to achieve this was to become a Medical doctor. His role models were his two uncles – Carl Goresky and Gerald Goresky who were both excellent clinical and academic specialist medical doctors; as well as his grandfather Victor Goresky who was also an excellent family doctor who did a little academic research on the side.  Harvey wanted to be like all of these guys, so not only did Harvey attend Medical School at the University of British Columbia to be a rural family doctor; he also enrolled in a Master’s of Science degree to learn how to do research.  He graduated with a MD and MSC from University of British Columbia (UBC) Medical School in 1987; graduated from the UBC Family Practice program in 1989; and then did 6 months of Anesthesia training before accepting a job in Bella Coola.   
There he worked hard, did a lot of research, fished a lot, and raised a family which consisted of two daughters – Keri and Amy; a dog named Samantha; a cat named Colbette; as well as horses, guinea pigs, rabbits and other pets he has since forgotten about.    And that pretty much summarizes the overview. 
He has co-written four books; another half dozen book chapters; and published over 60 peer reviewed scientific papers.  The most interesting books include 1. Birds of the Raincoast: Habits and Habitat. Harbour Publishing. October 2004;  2. River of the Angry Moon: Seasons on the Bella Coola. Douglas & McIntyre Publishing / University of Washington Press. pp 184, 1998;  3. Bella Coola Man: More Stories of Clayton Mack. Harbour Publishing. pp 238; 1994; Grizzlies and White Guys: The Stories of Clayton Mack. Harbour Publishing. pp 239; 1993 .  Academic honors and awards include 1. Member of the Order of Canada (CM).  2006;  2. Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. February 25, 2003;   3. Dr David Bachop Gold Medal for Distinguished Medical Service. April 20, 2001. British Columbia Medical Association; 4. Order of British Columbia (OBC). May 15, 2000;  and last but not least 5. Practice of Excellence Award for Outstanding Care by a Canadian Family Physician. November 1997. Family Practice.  
He was a tenured Academic Professor at the University of Northern British Columbia while helping set up the Northern Medical Program there; and he was a Clinical Professor with the University of British Columbia Medicial school until his retirement this year 2016.
Along the way, Harvey and his wife have managed to live in Masset on Haida Gwaii (great place to catch Chinook and Coho salmon as well as large halibut); Dease Lake in northern British Columbia (great place to catch large Rainbow trout, Grayling, and Pike); the Smithers area (great place to catch Steelhead); and a few other places. They are back living in Bella Coola where Harvey is retired from the practice of Medicine and is very content these days gardening, bee-keeping, and fly-fishing for sea-run cutthroat trout, all kinds of salmon, and all kinds of char.  His two daughters are doing well.  Keri has two children which means Carol and Harvey are grandparents; while Amy carries on the medical doctor tradition finishing up a Pathology program in Calgary, Alberta.
Harvey and Carol would have liked to have attended the Goresky re-union but we promised ourselves a quiet year and we now have far too many animals (dogs, ducks, honey bees) and plants (fruit trees, berries, garden) to abandon for even a week this year.  But we like visitors so please come visit if you are in our neighbourhood.