Well, This is another tough one. Tom & I started school together at St. Leos parochial school back in 1948. We were among the first class to start kindergarten and go all the way through the 8th grade together. We would ride the bus home after school together. Sports were limited but we did play basketball together: Tom as a guard, and I as a forward. The team wasn't very good--no coaching or practices, but we had fun. Our fathers were members at Sequoyah Country Club where Tom and I learned how to play golf. He was much better than I back then. He had a strong cadre of friends at the club (Alan Boscacci, Pete Pensotti, Guy Bill, Mike Mahoney, and Sullivan). I hope someone has alerted them.
Tom and I grew apart during our days at PHS. I don't think we ever had a class together, but I remember seeing him up from the school with the kids who were trying out cigarettes. He was usually with Peggy Smith. Its funny how we still associate individuals with who they were dating back then. (Give me a name I'll tell you who.) I'm fairly sure Tom went to Univ. of Oregon after graduation, but after that who knows. I saw him at a few reunions, but never really got the chance to talk with him. Too bad, but I'll remember him.
This is lousy news. I too met Tom as well as Jim when we attended St. Leo's grammer school on Piedmont Avenue together. In addition, Tom lived a block away from me, and during the summer, when we were attending college, I used to see him frequently when he was working for his dad at Buran Equipment in the South Bay, and I was chasing parts for my contractor Uncles. Tom and I also attended several classes together at St. Mary's College in Moraga. Like some of our other male classmates from Piedmont who have gone before us, this comes as an unexpected and unpleasant surprise. Peace be with him and his family..
I have a memory with Tom to share. Tom's house was right next to the park so we would meet there and then head out to "The Rock" to meet our other friends for the evening. When I got to his house, his mom and dad were having "cocktails" with friends and they were a little tipsy by that time. They were talking about The Twist and trying, pathetically, to do it without any clue as to how to do it right. They called us in from Tom's room for some pointers and we had Mrs. Buran get some towels from the bathroom. We showed them how to hold the ends of the towels with their hands and have the towel around their butts to get the proper motion going. We were falling down with laughter but they slowly got the hang of it and were able to drop the towels and Twist on their own without any aids....."like we did last summer!" Tommy gone but not forgotten. Al Forster
Jim Packwood
Well, This is another tough one. Tom & I started school together at St. Leos parochial school back in 1948. We were among the first class to start kindergarten and go all the way through the 8th grade together. We would ride the bus home after school together. Sports were limited but we did play basketball together: Tom as a guard, and I as a forward. The team wasn't very good--no coaching or practices, but we had fun. Our fathers were members at Sequoyah Country Club where Tom and I learned how to play golf. He was much better than I back then. He had a strong cadre of friends at the club (Alan Boscacci, Pete Pensotti, Guy Bill, Mike Mahoney, and Sullivan). I hope someone has alerted them.Tom and I grew apart during our days at PHS. I don't think we ever had a class together, but I remember seeing him up from the school with the kids who were trying out cigarettes. He was usually with Peggy Smith. Its funny how we still associate individuals with who they were dating back then. (Give me a name I'll tell you who.) I'm fairly sure Tom went to Univ. of Oregon after graduation, but after that who knows. I saw him at a few reunions, but never really got the chance to talk with him. Too bad, but I'll remember him.
John Martin (Martin)
This is lousy news. I too met Tom as well as Jim when we attended St. Leo's grammer school on Piedmont Avenue together. In addition, Tom lived a block away from me, and during the summer, when we were attending college, I used to see him frequently when he was working for his dad at Buran Equipment in the South Bay, and I was chasing parts for my contractor Uncles. Tom and I also attended several classes together at St. Mary's College in Moraga. Like some of our other male classmates from Piedmont who have gone before us, this comes as an unexpected and unpleasant surprise. Peace be with him and his family..
Al Forster
I have a memory with Tom to share. Tom's house was right next to the park so we would meet there and then head out to "The Rock" to meet our other friends for the evening. When I got to his house, his mom and dad were having "cocktails" with friends and they were a little tipsy by that time. They were talking about The Twist and trying, pathetically, to do it without any clue as to how to do it right. They called us in from Tom's room for some pointers and we had Mrs. Buran get some towels from the bathroom. We showed them how to hold the ends of the towels with their hands and have the towel around their butts to get the proper motion going. We were falling down with laughter but they slowly got the hang of it and were able to drop the towels and Twist on their own without any aids....."like we did last summer!" Tommy gone but not forgotten. Al Forster