By now most of you have heard about Tom's passing. This is a very sad day for me as Tom was my best friend growing up and a brother to me. Tom was an important part of my early teen-age life and helped me through some difficult times in my junior and senior years of school. He was the most forgiving, nicest person I ever met and never passed judgment on anyone. I lived with Tom's family at San Quentin and later when Tom's dad was transfered to Sacramento I lived in the Murry home until I started to find my way in life. We worked on his old cars (the 39 Ford coupe) and others. I didn't know what I was doing but he didn't seem to care except asking me to hand him a certain tool. Whenever Tom was interested in something he became an expert at it. His technical knowledge about firearms was amazing.
For those who don't know a lot about Tom in his adult life he joined the Department of Corrections early on and through the years was promoted to Lt. He was in charge of two different remote inmate camps in the Fort Bragg area and the other down the coast somewhere around Elk, CA. These are the good convicts who fight forest fires and maintain undergrowth along country highways. Tom has a son Roger and two grandkids, a boy and a girl. His grandson is quite a baseball player, like his grandfather was, and his granddaughter will be going to college at the tender age of 16. He was very proud of his grandkids.
Tom and I remained very good friends until his passing and visited with me at my place in Fall River Mills (Shasta County) several times. Other times we saw each other in Sausalito and Sacramento. When we wern't together we talked on the phone at least once a month. We did a lot of shooting at the local range in Fall River and I tried to teach him the finer points of fly fishing. We spent many evenings on the back deck of the house watching the deer go by, having a beer and putting a steak on the BBQ. He loved to come up to my place in Fall River since he was really a country boy in the end.
I will miss him for a long long time and really haven't come to realization that he is gone. I will remain close to his son Roger and his sister Mary. They will always be a part of my family.
I have great memories of Tom when we were young. Believe it or not, Tom taught me how to drive in the walls of San Quentin in his dad's 1949 Studebaker! He was a great guy to hang around with in HS!
Tom called me a month or two after the reunion. We had a very nice conversation and talked old times. He wanted to know all about the reunion and explained that he was unable to come due to the state of his health. He did mention seeing his pal Nicolary but said he did not get down this way very often anymore. I said some old friends would love to see him and to please call if he came this way again and he said,"Oh, I don't think that will happen." In the context in which it was said, I felt he meant his health would not allow him a trip to Marin. I was so happy to have heard from him but did feel sad as I could sense I was talking to someone not too well ,yet needing to reach out. I remember how sweet he was in the fourth grade at St. Raphaels and how cute he was at MC and all of my memories of Tom are of a very kind soul. Melodie
Tom was quite a guy. Jim and I grew up (ages 2-9) at San Quentin and for the last 2-3 years before we moved to San Rafael, Tom was living there also. Both our Dad's worked there of course and there weren't too many kids so we all hung out together. We stayed friends throughtout high school. I remember his 39 coupe that Dick mentioned. What a hot rod. We disconnected the muffler one time and took it for a test run by the main prison. The timing was off a bit and Tom would put the clutch in and reve up the engine. The inmates that were outside for work details went nuts and were whooping and hollering and high fiveing and ,of course, that encouraged Tom all the more.
I also remember a Junior Prom we went to. We were Seniors and two Juniors asked us to their prom. We had a great time and wanted to celebrate afterwards with Champagne. We had a bottle in the car but were too afraid of getting caught so we decided the safest place was at San Quentin. Sharon (Ramareno spelling?) put the bottle between her legs under her 4 petitcoats which almost covered half the windshield. We told the guard we were just going to Tom's house for a bit. We parked a few doors away from his house and drank the chamgagne in the dark. Fortunately no patrols came by. When we were leaving we saw the sign at the main gate that said ...Bringing alcohol or firearms onto these premises is a felony and strictly prohibited! In our youth and innocence we had no idea! We had committed a felony together but fortunately never caught! :)
So many, many memories Tom. Thank you and we will miss you very, very much.
I always remember the time that Tom, my brother Glenn, and I would go to the top of the mountain in the valley of San Quentin when we were kids and would ride Old Baldy, the horse, and ride across the horizon which is now Larkspur Landing. We'd get off the horse, there was a lake at the bottom of the hill called Butt Lake, (featured at the end of the movie, Dirty Harry, where the villain was shot and fell into the water). We'd swim in the ice cold lake. We'd get back on Old Baldy to head home, laughing all the way. Old Baldy was our free transportation. We had a lot of fun moments and I will truly miss him. May he rest in peace for all eternity. Jim Cheetham
GREAT tributes, everybody, and Tom deserves them. I dated Tom thruout most of our Senior year, doubling with Brud Dufficy and Lynn Harriman Claxton one day every weekend. What a blast he was! And the bantering between he and Brud was hysterical--Lynn and I could not stop laughing! At that age the biggest thing Tom wanted to do with we 4 was deal out his acerbic wit. He'd get Brud or me in a conversation and then say, "Gotcha!" and Brud would lightly hit the steering wheel while I just laughed. Tom was so clever!! Our dates were not what I thot the typical "teen date" was all about-no parking and necking! Instead Tom and I loved to talk, especially to see which one of us could be the most satirical. Tom was very good and we cracked up both Brud and Lynn. Tom had a very good I.Q. but his grades may not have shown it.
Tom really enjoyed conversing about the topics of the day, teachers, religion, etc. This may sound dull but with Tom's wit and Brud butting in, it definitely was NOT dull. There was not a dull thing about Tom! We were always in Brud's car with Tom and I in back and, sorry, but I don't remember what kind of car it was, as if! ('59 gry/white Impala coupe-283 w/three dueces) On one date Brud drove into San Quentin. I was scared but we drove all around with Tom pointing out some real and fantasy spots. On another date, Brud suggested we go to his house because his folks were out. We 4 went inside and Brud didn't turn any lights on because he was afraid someone would see with his folks out. He showed us around the house in the DARK and then we 4 tried to play pool in the dark...to no avail but we took it humorously!Tom was my first MC date and I have thot of him frequently over the years. You are missed, buddy! xo
This was a blow. I had thought of Tom often since I heard of the reunion knowing, with a smile, he would not be there either (no offense). We became friends in the 5th grade when I arrived from New York at St. Raphael's. He beat me up over a dispute about a tennis ball and we decided we were both pretty ok. Over the following year's he, myself, & Larry Cory formed a bond that eventually dissipated over the years as we took different paths but was one that I know all 3 of us thought back on as one that may have been one of life's greatest.
Richard Nicolary
Hi Everyone,
By now most of you have heard about Tom's passing. This is a very sad day for me as Tom was my best friend growing up and a brother to me. Tom was an important part of my early teen-age life and helped me through some difficult times in my junior and senior years of school. He was the most forgiving, nicest person I ever met and never passed judgment on anyone. I lived with Tom's family at San Quentin and later when Tom's dad was transfered to Sacramento I lived in the Murry home until I started to find my way in life. We worked on his old cars (the 39 Ford coupe) and others. I didn't know what I was doing but he didn't seem to care except asking me to hand him a certain tool. Whenever Tom was interested in something he became an expert at it. His technical knowledge about firearms was amazing.
For those who don't know a lot about Tom in his adult life he joined the Department of Corrections early on and through the years was promoted to Lt. He was in charge of two different remote inmate camps in the Fort Bragg area and the other down the coast somewhere around Elk, CA. These are the good convicts who fight forest fires and maintain undergrowth along country highways. Tom has a son Roger and two grandkids, a boy and a girl. His grandson is quite a baseball player, like his grandfather was, and his granddaughter will be going to college at the tender age of 16. He was very proud of his grandkids.
Tom and I remained very good friends until his passing and visited with me at my place in Fall River Mills (Shasta County) several times. Other times we saw each other in Sausalito and Sacramento. When we wern't together we talked on the phone at least once a month. We did a lot of shooting at the local range in Fall River and I tried to teach him the finer points of fly fishing. We spent many evenings on the back deck of the house watching the deer go by, having a beer and putting a steak on the BBQ. He loved to come up to my place in Fall River since he was really a country boy in the end.
I will miss him for a long long time and really haven't come to realization that he is gone. I will remain close to his son Roger and his sister Mary. They will always be a part of my family.
Dick Nicolary
Larry Selna
God bless Tom and his family!
I have great memories of Tom when we were young. Believe it or not, Tom taught me how to drive in the walls of San Quentin in his dad's 1949 Studebaker! He was a great guy to hang around with in HS!
Melodie Yoell (Behm)
Tom called me a month or two after the reunion. We had a very nice conversation and talked old times. He wanted to know all about the reunion and explained that he was unable to come due to the state of his health. He did mention seeing his pal Nicolary but said he did not get down this way very often anymore. I said some old friends would love to see him and to please call if he came this way again and he said,"Oh, I don't think that will happen." In the context in which it was said, I felt he meant his health would not allow him a trip to Marin. I was so happy to have heard from him but did feel sad as I could sense I was talking to someone not too well ,yet needing to reach out. I remember how sweet he was in the fourth grade at St. Raphaels and how cute he was at MC and all of my memories of Tom are of a very kind soul. Melodie
Rafael "Brud" Dufficy
Boy. do I remember Tom-
What a ride !!!-
haven't seen him in a thousand years but I remember him like it was yesterday- the times, the laughs, the cars, the guys- ok, so maybe the gals too-
great tribute, Nick-
in my "minds eye" I see Tom like a "James Dean" - and he had a 1958 (or so) Speedster too- with a mushrooms growing on the floor-
and so it was- and so it is- and thanks, Tom, for the memories-----------
Brud Dufficy
Glenn Cheetham
Tom was quite a guy. Jim and I grew up (ages 2-9) at San Quentin and for the last 2-3 years before we moved to San Rafael, Tom was living there also. Both our Dad's worked there of course and there weren't too many kids so we all hung out together. We stayed friends throughtout high school. I remember his 39 coupe that Dick mentioned. What a hot rod. We disconnected the muffler one time and took it for a test run by the main prison. The timing was off a bit and Tom would put the clutch in and reve up the engine. The inmates that were outside for work details went nuts and were whooping and hollering and high fiveing and ,of course, that encouraged Tom all the more.
I also remember a Junior Prom we went to. We were Seniors and two Juniors asked us to their prom. We had a great time and wanted to celebrate afterwards with Champagne. We had a bottle in the car but were too afraid of getting caught so we decided the safest place was at San Quentin. Sharon (Ramareno spelling?) put the bottle between her legs under her 4 petitcoats which almost covered half the windshield. We told the guard we were just going to Tom's house for a bit. We parked a few doors away from his house and drank the chamgagne in the dark. Fortunately no patrols came by. When we were leaving we saw the sign at the main gate that said ...Bringing alcohol or firearms onto these premises is a felony and strictly prohibited! In our youth and innocence we had no idea! We had committed a felony together but fortunately never caught! :)
So many, many memories Tom. Thank you and we will miss you very, very much.
Glenn
James Cheetham
I always remember the time that Tom, my brother Glenn, and I would go to the top of the mountain in the valley of San Quentin when we were kids and would ride Old Baldy, the horse, and ride across the horizon which is now Larkspur Landing. We'd get off the horse, there was a lake at the bottom of the hill called Butt Lake, (featured at the end of the movie, Dirty Harry, where the villain was shot and fell into the water). We'd swim in the ice cold lake. We'd get back on Old Baldy to head home, laughing all the way. Old Baldy was our free transportation. We had a lot of fun moments and I will truly miss him. May he rest in peace for all eternity. Jim Cheetham
Suzanne Helms (Yanok)
GREAT tributes, everybody, and Tom deserves them. I dated Tom thruout most of our Senior year, doubling with Brud Dufficy and Lynn Harriman Claxton one day every weekend. What a blast he was! And the bantering between he and Brud was hysterical--Lynn and I could not stop laughing! At that age the biggest thing Tom wanted to do with we 4 was deal out his acerbic wit. He'd get Brud or me in a conversation and then say, "Gotcha!" and Brud would lightly hit the steering wheel while I just laughed. Tom was so clever!! Our dates were not what I thot the typical "teen date" was all about-no parking and necking! Instead Tom and I loved to talk, especially to see which one of us could be the most satirical. Tom was very good and we cracked up both Brud and Lynn. Tom had a very good I.Q. but his grades may not have shown it.
Tom really enjoyed conversing about the topics of the day, teachers, religion, etc. This may sound dull but with Tom's wit and Brud butting in, it definitely was NOT dull. There was not a dull thing about Tom! We were always in Brud's car with Tom and I in back and, sorry, but I don't remember what kind of car it was, as if! ('59 gry/white Impala coupe-283 w/three dueces) On one date Brud drove into San Quentin. I was scared but we drove all around with Tom pointing out some real and fantasy spots. On another date, Brud suggested we go to his house because his folks were out. We 4 went inside and Brud didn't turn any lights on because he was afraid someone would see with his folks out. He showed us around the house in the DARK and then we 4 tried to play pool in the dark...to no avail but we took it humorously!Tom was my first MC date and I have thot of him frequently over the years. You are missed, buddy! xo
Michael O'Brien
This was a blow. I had thought of Tom often since I heard of the reunion knowing, with a smile, he would not be there either (no offense). We became friends in the 5th grade when I arrived from New York at St. Raphael's. He beat me up over a dispute about a tennis ball and we decided we were both pretty ok. Over the following year's he, myself, & Larry Cory formed a bond that eventually dissipated over the years as we took different paths but was one that I know all 3 of us thought back on as one that may have been one of life's greatest.