MEMORIES

Please celebrate Tom’s life by having special memories of him brighten your days. Glean from his wisdom that you learned from him and what you saw in him that made a positive difference in your life. Thank God for His gift of Tom in your life. 

Tom loved his family deeply, and he had friends who were like family to him. Above all, Tom loved God and reflected the Savior he adored. In living life, Tom emulated a particular Bible verse well: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Tom was very patient and tolerant, except in golf when he expressed rare frustrations and words.

He was kind. Always. Never wanted to hurt another in words or in actions. His every motivation in deeds were rooted out of sincere love. It was important to him to make another feel better and to place another first. He would gladly drop whatever he was doing to help. He considered others’ feelings and cared deeply to ensure they would leave his presence feeling better than when they first approached him. 

Tom didn’t envy others; he was happy for their success and content with what he had. He was humble. He did not want to have anything to make another envious, nor boasted. He didn’t place himself above another and happily elevated others above himself. He did not have false illusions about himself, nor tried to give a false illusion. He was humble and candid about himself, he didn’t have a problem admitting his shortcomings and would do so in order to improve himself, and for others to learn from him. 

Tom would not consider dishonoring another. The only negative thing he would say about someone is it would be a political or celebrity figure, or someone who intentionally wronged others. Tom was not self-seeking, he did things for the benefit of others. Tom did not get angry easily. He wasn’t hot-tempered; he was known for being calm and even tempered. If there would be drama, he would seek to still it and not to cause one. He forgave easily. He didn’t keep a record of wrongs, nor held grudges. He instead would see the good side of a person, or seek to bring out the good.

Tom loved God and lived to please Him. He believed the Bible was the only reliable guide for a successful life and to grow closer to God and others, to experience real love, and that living life was better with God than without. He became a Gideon member to contribute his time and resources to distribute scriptures so that others could also know God. He also was actively involved in Foothills Church serving in the Senior Nutrition Program, and in several AWANA and Sunday school classes.  It was his deep desire to see his children, family members and friends to become a part of God’s family and spend eternity with them in Heaven.

Memorial gifts can be made to: Foothills Church (foothillscp.org) and the Gideons (Gideons.org).