Tom died Jan 12, 2014, in Canton, Ohio at the age of 74. He jumped from Missoula 1958 through 1963, with details to New Mexico and Alaska, while working his way through Wittenberg and Kent State Universities from which he earned bachelors and masters degrees in education. He was born in Canton May 9, 1939, and married his lifelong friend and companion, the former Karen Kesling, on May 20, 1961.

Tom taught in Canton city schools for 35 years and after retirement became a technology trainer for Public Broadcast Service (associated with Kent State) in Kent, Ohio. For the past six years he was an NSA trail crew volunteer in Idaho, Montana and West Virginia and was also a volunteer on the Ohio Erie Canal Towpath Trail. His hobbies included golf, reading, watching sports and spending time with his family. In addition to his wife, Tom leaves four children, Tracy Pope, Kyla Cromer, Kelsi Barnhart and Toby Oswald, plus nine grandchildren.

The brochure distributed by his family and the funeral home features a photo of Tom in smokejumper gear in front of a Johnson Flying Service DC-3.