Tom and I were not in grade school together from the first grade I think he moved to the area by the third grade. In junior high we became good friends and he was my “girl “ coach, and I gave him the money to buy a steady pin for Jan Dyck that I didn’t have the courage to give her but left in her locker. I made the mistake of sharing her notes to me with him and he liked what he read and asked if he could see her. Of course, what are friends for! Besides I was scared to death of the unknown, and dreamy Jan was the unknown. Tom and I had paper routes in junior high. Tom and I knocked around in high school roaming in his GT500 Shelby. He worked at the family Deluxe ice cream company all his life effectively running it until his death of cancer when his father sold it. Tom was drafted in the army and served in VietNam. He got married soon before or right after he went in the army. I remember he was granted a compassionary leave by his Company Commander (Tom was his jeep driver) as the marriage relationship was reported in trouble by friends stateside. He came down to OSU and we had some serious conversations including he asking me to think twice about my Army ROTC. Which was just about required if your draft number was 12 and you wanted to stay near your girlfriend and not be overseas with your guy friends. Returning from the service he had two children and eventually the marriage dissolved. He married again several years later to a south grad a couple of years younger and enjoyed several years living in both Salem and Bend commuting before succumbing to lung cancer. Tom was a great friend, a fun hard-working guy and an excellent undefeated boxer. greg pilcher
Greg, thank you for all the information on Tom. I was never real close with him but he lived around the corner from me and I used to help him out on his paper route when he had something else come up, and eventually took it over as my own route.
Greg Pilcher
Tom and I were not in grade school together from the first grade I think he moved to the area by the third grade. In junior high we became good friends and he was my “girl “ coach, and I gave him the money to buy a steady pin for Jan Dyck that I didn’t have the courage to give her but left in her locker. I made the mistake of sharing her notes to me with him and he liked what he read and asked if he could see her. Of course, what are friends for! Besides I was scared to death of the unknown, and dreamy Jan was the unknown. Tom and I had paper routes in junior high. Tom and I knocked around in high school roaming in his GT500 Shelby. He worked at the family Deluxe ice cream company all his life effectively running it until his death of cancer when his father sold it. Tom was drafted in the army and served in VietNam. He got married soon before or right after he went in the army. I remember he was granted a compassionary leave by his Company Commander (Tom was his jeep driver) as the marriage relationship was reported in trouble by friends stateside. He came down to OSU and we had some serious conversations including he asking me to think twice about my Army ROTC. Which was just about required if your draft number was 12 and you wanted to stay near your girlfriend and not be overseas with your guy friends. Returning from the service he had two children and eventually the marriage dissolved. He married again several years later to a south grad a couple of years younger and enjoyed several years living in both Salem and Bend commuting before succumbing to lung cancer. Tom was a great friend, a fun hard-working guy and an excellent undefeated boxer. greg pilcherJulie White (Davie)
Greg, thank you for posting these heartfelt memories of Tom and Gail.
Sidney Sexson (Sexson)
Greg, thank you for all the information on Tom. I was never real close with him but he lived around the corner from me and I used to help him out on his paper route when he had something else come up, and eventually took it over as my own route.