It is with sadness that the family of Steve Thorning, of Elora, announces his sudden passing on Feb. 23 in his 66th year. He was the son of Otto and Renate, partner of Wycliffe (Sandy) DeLong, of Oakland, and brother of Susan Thorning and her husband Eric Oakley, of Elora. Thorning was born May 8 1949 at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and moved soon after to Elora where he resided the rest of his life. He was probably the best educated high school drop-out in the village's history. He worked in the furniture factories of Elora, then returned to school as a mature student and earned BA in English literature at the University of Guelph, an MA in history and then his Ph.D in economic history at McMaster University in Hamilton.
Thorning became a bank accountant, helping banks set up computer systems, won a silver medal in an international competition when edited the Canadian Philatelist magazine, and was well known in stamp collecting circles for his fake stamp shows that were in demand where collectors gathered.
He was elected to Elora council in the early 1990s and served four terms, the final one as deputy-reeve. He lost the mayoral race when Centre Wellington amalgamated.
Steve’s interests were wide ranging. He loved the romance and history of railroads, duplicated complicated model rail lines, and was a popular speaker not only about railroads but also local history. He was named an honorary member of the Elora and Salem Horticultural Society, and also served as its president. He was particularly adept at the propagation of evergreens and shrubs, and could be found in his greenhouse as soon as the snow was gone. Steve has been writing Valuing Our History, with a focus on towns and villages in Wellington County, since 1990. As well, Thorning had a number of incomplete manuscripts on a wide range of topics. There will be no funeral service. Memorial donations can be directed to the Wellington County Historical Society.