For the past 40 years, he has been quietly working in the background as a tireless volunteer, but Tom Connor's decades of community building finally found their place in the spotlight Monday night when he was named Aurora's 2020 Citizen of the Year.

Traditionally announced in Council Chambers as part of the Town's Community Recognition Awards, Mr. Connor was surprised with the honour June 15 while enjoying a physically-distant evening with long-time friends.

As the families watched the virtual ceremony over YouTube, friends and well-wishers let in early on the secret, gathered outside the home for an impromptu celebration where, following the online announcement from Mayor Tom Mrakas, Councillor Harold Kim presented Mr. Connor with the trophy.

Mr. Connor has been a resident of Aurora since 1973.

Almost from the outset, he set to work to make a difference in the Town he calls home.

A leader in local sports, a champion for the Aurora Public Library, and a passionate volunteer on behalf of residents in need, most recently with Martha's Table, a weekly meal program for vulnerable and isolated members of the community organized by Welcoming Arms and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, he has touched the lives of many over the decades.

“He is a devoted volunteer giving his time over the past four decades to various organization in Aurora such as the Aurora Minor Hockey Association, Aurora Youth Soccer, the Optimist Club of Aurora, the Town's Committee of Adjustment, the Aurora Public Library Board, and Martha's Table to name a few,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas on Monday night before revealing Mr. Connor's name.

Mayor Mrakas lauded Mr. Connor for quarter century of work with the Optimist Club of Aurora, where he has served in various capacities, including President and Treasurer, his more than 20 years of service on the Aurora Public Library Board, on which he presently serves as Chair, and his tireless efforts to provide food and fellowship through Martha's Table.

“Tom's compassion, dedication and commitment to our Town is inspiring,” said Mayor Mrakas after the big reveal. “His lifelong goal of giving back to others shows us the importance of volunteering and the positive impact on our community. Over the years, Tom has built a network of volunteers, community connections and neighbourhood resources and, most of all, lifelong friends.

“Your drive to serve and better the lives of others gives us hope, especially in times like this, where hope and positive contributions to our fellow neighbours and friends will help us move forward through adversity and instill much needed change.”

One such member of Mr. Connor's network of lifelong friends is former Citizen of the Year Steve Hinder, who, along with wife Jane, invited Tom and his wife Barb over for dinner Monday night, gently encouraging the foursome to sit down and watch the livestream.

“To me, Tom exemplifies exactly what Citizen of the Year means,” said Mr. Hinder. “It is someone who has given a lifetime of volunteering and giving back to the Town. Tom has done it so quietly. He never talks about it. He even still has a flip phone, so he's not a social media guy! He's not about posting or boasting about anything that he does. It has never been his style.”

In fact, Mr. Hinder notes Tom and Barb Connor met while volunteering with a youth drop-in centre in Toronto, so volunteering is a cornerstone of his life.

The things that a lot of parents do in terms of getting engaged in sports and leisure activities for the kids,” shared Mr. Hinder. “Tom was more than a coach; he became the President of Aurora Youth Soccer for a year. The boys were playing hockey and he recognized there was nothing around for them at a young age, so he approached then-Mayor Dick Illingworth and Dick said, ‘Yeah, I can support this, but you need to run it.' Tom said, ‘Okay,' and actually started the recreational hockey program that in 1988 the Optimists took over and it grew from there.

“Over the last few years, he has been involved with Martha's Table. He never told me any of this stuff. That is the thing about him. We saw each other at least every couple of weeks. He's not one to say, ‘Hey, here's what I'm doing,' but it would be Barb who would say something about Tom helping with this neat program every Thursday at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church called Martha's Table and he helps organize the lunch there.' A couple of years ago at Neighbourhood Network, we were going around to visit different organizations during National Volunteer Week. We dropped off coffees to say thank you to volunteers. I really didn't know anything about that program, but I walked in and – boom, there he was. I know this guy really well and he didn't tell me anything about this.”

Joining in on the congratulations Monday night was Bruce Gorman, CEO of the Aurora Public Library.

“He is thoughtful, insightful gentleman who really cares about the community,” said Mr. Gorman. “He really understands libraries and he has been fabulous in allowing the Aurora Public Library to move forward and do some remarkable things.”

By Brock Weir