Thomas Innes 1990-2024

Thomas Innes

The Chatham-Kent hockey community is once again in shock with the death of a young hockey player.

Thomas Innes, 33, died suddenly on April 20 of a heart condition.

Playing for the Blenheim Blades, Innes led the Great Lakes Junior C league in scoring in 2011-12 with 74 points. Innes played most of his hockey career with the Blades, but also spent time with the Chahtam Maroons and began his junior career with Kingsville. He died four days after ex-Blades and Maroons defenceman Craig Spence, 22, of Chatham was killed in a Highway 401 crash in London.

Innes is survived by his parents of John and Elizabeth Innes, brother of JJ (John James) and fiancé of Jen Siemen.

A GoFundMe campaign is raising money to help Innes’s family with expenses. In a couple of days the community has raised well over double its $10,000 goal.

“With Thomas’s mom, dad and brother all battling cancer you can imagine the financial strain this family has already been dealing with,” wrote organizer Amy Carter. “With the cost of funeral expenses etc, the financial struggles for Liz and John are about to increase. It is hoped that this page will raise enough money to allow the Innes family to grieve without financial stress weighing on them.”

Visitation for Innes will take place at Reaume Funeral Home Inc., in Tilbury on Wednesday April 24, from 2-5 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. Additional visitation will be held at Darrel S. Moffat Memorial United Church, 27 Canal Street East, on Thursday, April 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by the funeral service at 1 p.m