another comment I didn't want buried

from Mike Schindler

mikess said...

Aloha; I met thomas in 1959 when my family moved into the Burns Park neighborhood. My most cherished memories are my Burns Park years. There must have been a hundred kids per age during the sixties in Burns Park area. Thomas, Jay williams and Chris Edwards were the first "braddas" that I met. Almost instantly myself and my brother Steven became friends with Thomas, Willy and Chriswards along with Marc Ross, Brad Jones and a host of other boys our ages. Thomas was the "joker" always willing to instigate a good joke or rascally boy mischief. The weather balloon bomb was one of many rascally things we did. One summer day we ended up at the Wehrer`s house in Burns Park bored and looking for "action". I noticed a large lifeless balloon on the kitchen table. Thomas said it was a weather balloon. Our collective brains took about a half second to decide to fill that large balloon with water and drop it out Thomas`s third floor bedroom window. We went outside filled up the balloon to the size of a huge jello like watermelon. The four of us- Thomas, Willy my brother Steve and myself managed to pick the gargantuan water balloon up and looking like a huge sidewinder crab. Started the perilous ascent up to the third floor. At the third floor we decided to take a break and rest the balloonator on top of a banister. Immedietly we knew this was a bad idea. Because the balloon was so full it was like carrying a fifty pound jello balloon. The balloonator made a viscous roll over the banister and plummeted three floors down and exploded on the hardwood foyer floor. We look on in stunned silence as we watched about five gallons of water spill all over. Like an indoor tsunami.(what a beautiful site- sorry Joe, but is was cool) That instant Mr Wehrer came thru the doors to witness the devistation. (Joe you came within seconds of death by water balloon). Mr wehrer turned a beet red looked up at all of us and demanded that we come downstairs and explain what the heck we had done. Our feeble attempt fell on deaf ears as Mr. Wehrer told us to clean it up. So after we used every towel and fan in the house the tsunami was cleaned up. We all decided that our "work" was done for the day and went home. Another glorious day in Burns Park. I will always and forever remember Thomas as my friend, bradda and sometimes partner in rascally boy crimes. A Hui Hou Bradda Thomas Mike S Schindler whiskeymike25@hotmail.com

Tom's life in pictures

I tried to get the slide show directly to the blog but can't figure it out instead I put it on you tube - check it out.  Memorial pictures to come - it was a lovely tribute to an amazing man. I apologize for the lame music transitions.  Well never mind the music - not licenced - they muted it.  Imagine some Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Spinners, Sam and Dave and the song Alfie.

Go to: Tom's life in pictures

Memorial Parking

If parking is difficult there is a lot of parking 2 blocks away on Dublin at Brazil behind the school.

Moire

I am so sad to post that Moire did not get on a plane. We will tape the Memorial for her.

The Volcano did stop her form getting here, but it won't stop us from sending her our heartfelt sentiments. We love you Moire.

Moire and the Volcano

Toms wife Moire is in Ireland. She was due to arrive Thursday, but has had flight after flight canceled. She has remained optimistic. I was devastated when she called last night after another cancelation. She has talked to everyone she can, every airline, the police.

She is at the top of everyones lis tot get out, yet she remains.

She has probably about 12 more hours to get on a plane before she misses the memorial all together.

Lets pool all of our positive energy and will her onto a plane.

Start now and don't stop!

Moire we love you.

Tom at the movies

Tom knew how to watch a movie. He had all his receptors going full time and could vividly recall films he enjoyed in great detail. Setting the scenes and characters and frequently acting at the best parts. I believe his favorite movie was the Coen brothers ,"Miller's Crossing", a movie I too thought highly of. Tom particularly identified with role played by Gabriel Byrne as the son of a Boston mob boss.

Sometime within the past two years, Tom had run into a filmmaker here in SF who was taken with Tom and had him, in effect, play himself in a film. Does anyone know who that was and if the film was ever finished?

Swimmers Itch

Listening to Otis preparing for the memorial. Sure does make Tom present.

ok- swimmers itch. There was "the lake" a small abandoned resort on a lake near Jackson Michigan. The Loving family had rented it for the summer. It was fantastic. It had cabins, a hotel, a ballroom all on a nice lake. Tom and some friends had camped out there early on in the summer. The rest of the family was picking him up the next day, and spending the day there.

When we arrived Tom was insane. I remember him pounding the roof of the car demanding to be brought home immediately. He was hysterical. He was itchy. We all thought it was mosquito bites. We were there to enjoy the day. It was a beautiful summer day. I remember Steve could not swim for some reason, I think a stitches perhaps. He was so bummed out. Well we all went in swimming. We all started to itch. To get relief, we went back in the water. We eventually figured out the more we swam the itchy we were, and that the then lucky Steve did not itch. So we did some calling and found it was "swimmer itch" Stay out of the water- a little late for that - shower off - well it was also too late for that. There is a small window of time that the flat worm larve is in the water and will get under your skin. Each spot itches ALL the time until it dies in several days. For days we were all as crazy as Tom was that morning as our skin literally crawled. Poor Marty Bush was along and in addition to the itch she got terribly sunburned, so couldn't even scratch herself. Ah, good times...