Tom Memories from Santa Cruz

Lindsey this is the man we knew, your father tearing down the hill from the university on his bicycle, grabbing his surfboard and heading for the last waves of the day. (We never saw him drive a car. His bike was like another appendage) Dad working in our backyard pulling weeds, mowing our lawn and generally telling us the yard needed an overhaul and his father would be shocked at the state of the plants. He would work hard in that yard for a few dollars and a couple of good home-cooked meals and a lot of laughs. And laugh and talk we did! He was smart and fun and attacked life with such enthusiasm and humor. We never saw him without a smile and he always gave the best hugs.

When my daughter, Sarah, was having a “blue” day he showed up with a bouquet of blue daisies. How sweet is that! Our daughter, Nissa, worked at Nelson and Plumlee Flowers in Santa Cruz with your Dad. The two of them and the rest of the flower crew shared many happy hours together. Nissa married and moved to northern Idaho but she and your Dad would try to talk once a year to keep the friendship connection in spite of busy lives and distance between them. Nissa considered your Dad one of her best friends. That was the kind of man he was. Once a friend always a friend.

The last time Rick and I saw your Dad was early after the move to Alaska, before you were born. He and your mom were living in Girdwood and they fixed us dinner. The place they were staying had a covered porch around part of it and I remember the excitement in your Dad’s eyes as he told of the bear visits on the porch. He had such respect and love for the natural world and for humanity. He was a man who lived a whole lifetime in his 38 years. He just got up every morning and said “Hello world! What have you got for me today?” He was a good man, a very good man!

Rick and Cindy Morley, Sarah Nightingale, and Nissa Bombino