Tom, 64, died July 2, 2007, of a brain aneurism while working at his desk in the Payette National Forest Warehouse. He never regained consciousness.

Tom was born May 22, 1943, in Ontario, Oregon. He graduated from High School in Reseda, California, and went on to Brigham Young University on a full-ride gymnastics scholarship. He received his master's degree from Utah State. His firefighting career began in 1967, when he held a fire control position, and he later worked on the Payette Hotshot Crew from 1972 through 1974. Tom jumped at McCall from 1975-79. He then went to the Price Valley Helitack crew 1980-83, the McCall Airtanker Base in 1984, and the Payette USFS Warehouse 1985.