Dear Ellen,
It meant so much over the past weeks to be able to visit you
and Tom in the beautiful, welcoming home
you created together, to be included in that marvelous circle of loving family
and friends that ever surrounds you. There were stories of so many good times,
laughter and always from Tom a
hearty hug and “I love you” to take
away.
He will always be a unique and splendid gift to each of us. These are some of my
treasured memories…
Healing peace and love to you,
Mike and Cyndy
***********************************
Tom would joke that we went to high school together. There
were so many really smart, funny and wonderfully
good hearted guys in that 3E English
Junior English Class at B.C High in 1966. A few would become my life-long
friends, and the best of all was Tom our teacher, my hero. He
encouraged us to think critically, to discuss, to write. to care about others. His
classes were challenging, enjoyable, creative. He even made the revolutionary
step 45 years ago of bringing a record player to classes and introducing the
musical poetry and truth of Simon and Garfunkle - running the range from the anthemic call to social awareness and
responsibility in “The Sounds of Silence” to the joie de vivre of “life I love you ,Feeling
Groovy”.
He was respectfully dubbed “Rock” McCormack for his fun
loving footwork as he chaperoned the Friday night dances…Tom was cool, fun, so
smart, so inspiring. He inspired me to become an English teacher with hopes of being
something like him if I only could.
He walked the walk
of social activism moving with fellow Jesuit scholastics into a rather rundown
apartment in the then very rough and tumble Columbia Point Housing Project (now
a much improved Harbor Point.) His
compassion led him to live among, befriend and help the needy folks there. He did that everywhere and always throughout
his life.
Tom taught the big life lessons and the more personal ones
too. Sometimes my beleaguered parents did not seem to understand their oldest
“teenager in love” and Tom would listen, commiserate, reassure…and sure enough-
And sure enough in December ’69 (almost 43 years ago) he was
part of our wedding. In the summer of 1970
he arranged a very alternative christening for our Joe in our small Dorchester
apartment. We have some great photos he took of Joe in our first home and it
was Joe at about age 4 who combined his names into “McTomack” which later Tom
used as his email.
I was so fortunate to
have Tom as a friend and we’d catch up periodically over the years to talk about the course of our lives.
Over the past two years it was living with cancer, and healing when there was
no cure.
Recently I came across
the play he had us act out in class “JB”
by Archibald MacLeish – the story of a modern day Job ,coping with
life’s suffering and loss with the
ultimate message: “all that truly
matters , what is, and what remains always is love.”
Within the past months we shared the brilliant poems of our mutual friend Jim Hietter ,full of wit and
wisdom. Many of Jim’s images seem to capture Tom.
Tom will always be
one of
“The great chorus
Of free spirits
Singing Yes
To the Universe”
He was a “ bright
salute to life”
And he will “ live
In the light and laughter
Of all that is new
live in the now
Of nature’s eternal renewal”
Finally there is the wisdom and peace of
“Brevity
and Longevity”
You
and I will fade,
Like
everything that’s made,
Gifts
on temporary loan.
And
yet within there dwells
A
being of no beginning, no end;
It
can be known, but not named
Since
words belong
To
the world of what is made.
It’s
everywhere and always,
Present
in this moment;
Take
a deep, deep breath
And
let it come to you,
Easy, fresh and welcome
As
a schoolboy’s Saturday morning.”
Tom,
thank you for teaching me in your wonderful way how to live…
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