Gary
Fort Lauderdale, FL
14 Jan 2023 |
I worked with Tom in the Personnel office of the National Park Service in Washington, DC shortly before he moved to San Francisco. It was one of my first jobs, and Tom was one of my favorite bosses to work for. In 1980, Tom welcomed me to San Francisco and showed me around the Castro area. We didn't remain in close contact, so I was shocked to hear of his passing. But I was happy to be able to attend the memorial at his home. I remember a song played at this memorial: Goodbye My Friend (sung by Linda Ronstadt). That song has stuck with me, along with the remembrance of my friend and co-worker Tom Gregory...whom I sometimes jokingly referred to as my Uncle Tom. (He was only 11 years older than me, but I looked up to him as a gay uncle figure, since I was only about 20 years old and somewhat closeted when we worked together.) I'm sure he's laughing at me right now...his now 67-year-old gay nephew. |
