Tom grew up in Tacoma, Washington where he and his siblings would play in the great forest behind their home. He swam across Lake Washington and climbed Mount Rainier. In school, he was active in sports, speech, drama, and served both as valedictorian and president of his class.
His education continued with Masters Degrees in English, Philosophy, and Library Science. He was fluent in French and German and read Greek and Latin. He spent ten years in the Jesuit order before following his brother Larry into DoDDS. There he taught in Europe and Turkey and his deep love of books and music and his knowledge and enthusiasm inspired his students in literature and history. Subsequent assgnments found him in the Philippines and Korea as a librarian. While in the Philippines, his greatest adventure was the adoption of his three sons; Roger, Richard, and Diego.
Tom has been described as a warm, sensitive, caring individual with a lively sense of humor. Family members saw a man of great courage as he dealt with Parkinsons disease.
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