My wife and I have lived next door to Julie and Tom for three years. I got to know Tom neighborly well --we'd speak for a few minutes when we saw each other outside, and we'd help each other with things on different occasions. Once, when my wife was having a bad reaction after donating blood, he dropped what he was doing and drove me to her. He didn't even look back, he just pulled out his keys and jumped in his car. I'll never forget that, Tom... He was a good man, it was very obvious, and I liked him.
One of the things about him that I remember most vividly is his relationship with Buster, the dog that lived with Julie and him. I hesitate to name Buster as Julie's dog (though technically I suppose he is) because he was so clearly Tom's dog! Many times I have seen Tom helping the dog into his car only to find that he was taking Buster to the park or to the beach or somewhere else. One time I saw him packing a cooler and shopping bags in his back seat. I asked him where he was off to and he said that he and Buster were going on a picnic and would be gone all day. He loved Buster and Buster loved him, which is saying a lot because, well, Buster doesn't love just anybody. Believe me, I know. When Tom moved from Julie's, I helped him load the truck, but I was sorry to see him go. He was easy and pleasant to be around. He was a good man, it was very obvious, and I liked him.
-written by David Baker, posted by Julie Chasen
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