You’re more than welcome to bring this story to the wake. I’m glad you and others are able to celebrate his life in person.

Tom taught me the value of candy as a child by, while on annual family vacations with us, not sharing his candy with me no matter how much I begged him for it. (I’m sure he relented now and then.)

He tortured me with relentless tickling, which I loved and hated. I tortured him right back by calling him “Father Tom,” which for some reason he didn’t like as I recall.

He gave me the talking-to I needed while going through a rough period as an adolescent.

On top of all these defining moments, and many others, Tom will remain a lasting part of my life as being the man who officiated at my wedding and helped Daniela’s and my family and friends celebrate life and love on a grand scale on a snowy evening in December of 2005.

Jamey, at the suggestion of your mother, I will be printing your post out and leaving it in the guestbook at the wake tonight. I’m sure your story – and the others shared here – will bring tears of joy and remembrance to many.

Thank you, Jamey. Thank you, Tom.

In a sense, that’s what priests are–they’re middle men between people and between people and God. I’m blessed that Tom chose that vocation, and it sounds like you and the countless other people he impacted are too.

I also really like this, your point that anyone can be a middle man: “we can be middle people with almost everyone we know by being truly present to them and reminding them by our actions and ourselves by remembering to try to always be the best that we can at that moment in time.”

Thank you for honoring Tom in this way, Vince.

Sue and I were blessed many years before Tom arranged the adoption by him answering the phone at the Vincentian Priest’s house at American University when we were looking for a priest to be part of a youth program that we were working with at our local parish, Search for Christian Maturity.
Tom answered the phone and sight unseen agreed to come to Richmond to be the priest for one of our teenage sponsored Search retreats.
That began a literally lifelong connection to Tom, he preferred that to Fr. Tom. He went on vacation with us to Ocracoke, six of us in an un-airconditioned Volvo station wagon for 6 hours with the top loaded with our beach stuff, Grapes of Wrath go on vacation.
He officated at my son Joshua Nicholas and Daniela’s wedding. He was the foundation of my spiritual life. He was a dear and long time friend. He will be missed.
Tom was the middle man in your life in a very literal and direct sense. He was also the middle man in the lives of countless students at St. John’s University in NYC and on many many parish renewals that he was part of over his lifetime.
Tom was the example to me of how we can be middle people with almost everyone we know by being truly present to them and reminding them by our actions and ourselves by remembering to try to always be the best that we can at that moment in time.
I am glad to be a part of your life and be good friends with your family.
Vince