Saturday, November 11, 2023
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Tommy was a fantastic individual to be around. I don't have a single poor memory of Tommy which I am finding to be a very rare thing as I age. I clearly remember his generosity with his time and his dedication to the happiness of his children and their friends (like myself). My first time driving a tractor, which was also my first time touching a manual transmission and a clutch, my first time crashing a car, my first time shooting a shotgun, and surely many other events in my life happened thanks to Tommy. My love of floating down the American River and being able to do so safely and successfully was passed down to me through Eric as it was passed to him through Tommy and Cathy. As a child I remember being eager to participate in tasks and chores around Tommy because there was always going to be good food involved. (Looking back there was also usually a learning opportunity.) I remember getting persimmons off Pat's and Kenji's tree after a day of gardening in some of the most cared for soil I have every worked. Another full day's work somewhere might have been rewarded with a box of boas to take home when the day was over. I remember a fat meal at Stagecoach on Florin after a trip to Home Depot once. I remember the best sushi at any and all of Lori's restaurants. Tommy's beef and peas dish is the only way I'll eat peas. And believe it or not, I can't eat fried rice anywhere but home because of Tommy. Nothing compares to how Tommy would do it. When Eric would have friends over and we'd be up all night Tommy would frequently make fried rice in the morning. Starting with bacon and all the rendered fat he would proceed to add every vegetable at his disposal and whatever day-old rice was floating around to a massive wok. The meal would be finished with a glut of cracked eggs once everything else was cooked and the heat was off. Sticky, gooey, coated in bacon fat with a surprise vegetable in every bite. Nothing else compares. The dish changed every time based on what was in the fridge but surely each of my top ten fried rice experiences were variations from Tommy's kitchen. I also hold fond memories of being allowed to prepare and cook abalone and chicken katsu at Jeanne's kitchen for the big family gatherings. I still think of her every time I make inari. (Clearly food means a lot to me and I am grateful for so many fond food memories.) I also recall Tommy and Cathy gifting a large amount of cash to me when I married. I don't know if I ever shared this with him but that cash eventually made its way to Unicef to aid in clean drinking water efforts in Africa, something Tommy has a lot of connection to and surely would have appreciated enabling.
My heart goes out to all of you as you navigate this tremendous loss. I hope you're all gathering and eating as well as Tommy would have wanted.
