Tom grew up on Bainbridge Island, the oldest of four brothers. As a child, young Tom would take the ferry to Seattle alone on Saturdays to go to the YMCA and walk up and down First Avenue looking into the army navy stores, G.O.Guy, and all the old institutions of Seattle. His family moved to Bellevue in his teens and he was in the first graduating class of Interlake in 1969.
After attending college for a few years (WSU and BCC), Tom was a long haul trucker across the Southern United States in addition to working harvests in Eastern Washington. One day, on a whim, he answered an ad for U-Frame-It and found his true calling, picture framing. He managed the UFI shops in Bellevue and Ballard before opening his own shop in West Seattle in 1992, where he created beautiful art for his customers until retiring in 2024.
Tom’s love of family was evident in everything he did. He and his wife Merrilyn raised their daughters to respect all human rights and to strive for equality. He was so proud of both of his daughters for dedicating their careers to social justice. Tom loved watching the Mariners with his girls, and was a Seattle Sonics season ticketholder; after their sale, he never again set foot in a Starbucks. He was an avid skier and a marathon runner. He was a voracious reader and music lover, enjoying genres of all kinds. He was interested in everything and, most importantly, he was an honorable man. Family was everything to Tom. He will be so very missed.
Sadly, Tom died in his sleep on May 14, 2025, after an 11 year battle with cancer. He was 74 years old. He fought the good fight right up to the end and we are so very proud of him.
His obituary can be found here.
