Tom's Memorial Service

On May 1, I went to Tom's memorial service in Davis.  His family and girlfriend Deb hosted the event at Rominger Winery.  It was a very nice event and did much good to all of us who were shocked by Tom's passing.

Tom's mom, Doris, is a lovely woman, who lives with her daughter/Tom's sister, Meredith, in Southern California, not far from Tom's brother, Andy, a former professional motocross racer.  Tom's sister Carol lives in Texas.  Tom had a history of coronary heart disease and high cholesterol.  He chose to deal with cholesterol through diet and exercise rather than by taking medication.  Tom's father, a jet pilot, had died of a heart attack at 44.  Tom thought he had beaten the odds by outliving his dad by 12 years.  Tom's grandfather, Tommy Milton, is a Hall of Fame auto racer, who'd won the Indy 500 in 1921 and 1923.  Clearly, the men in the family like to go fast, though Tom chose the slowest means of propulsion -- human powered.

Friends and family members told stories from Tom's childhood, cycling career, and professional life.  Carol implored all men to get their health checked and to take care of themselves.  There was a bit of a sentiment that this was preventable, but no one was bitter.  Sad, yes, very much, but not bitter.  The family will buy a defibrillator and donate it to Davis Bike Club for use on SAG vehicles and establish a scholarship in Tom's name for CPR education: two very worthwhile endeavors.

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