CUSHING, Thomas Norman (1953-2018) We said goodbye to Tom on March 8th. Tom is survived by his cherished wife Mary Cushing, his daughters Therese and Diana, son-in-law David Atkinson and his awesome grandkids Dayton and Dylan. Tom will also be missed by the many kin of Pearl and Joseph Cushing and Doreen and Harold Ecclestone who were all an important part of his life. Tom considered his many friends part of his family as well. If you were lucky enough to be greeted by “Dear” or “Hey Man”, you knew you were a part of that chosen family. Many of his daughters’ friends thought of Tom as their own Dad and it was one of the things he was most proud of. Tom’s favourite things were cheering for his favourite sports teams, singing his heart out at concerts, sitting on the back deck watching the birds, taking photographs and enjoying time with his family. He spent 47 years working at Nexans, where Tom was the man to go to buy “squares” for the sports pools. You could always tell where his work station was as it was a small apartment with appliances and fully decorated. Tom lived his life to the fullest – on his own terms and with no regrets. He was known for his mischievous sense of humour that complimented his infectious smile and contagious laugh. Critiquing his loved ones was also something that he excelled at. The past few months have brought a wonderful outpouring of support for Tom and his family. As we’ve reminisced, shared, laughed and cried, the impact Tom has had on his family and friends has come evident through enthusiastic retelling of stories and fun-filled adventures. Tom‘s tales have always seemed somewhat legendary to us and through the recounting of these stories and memories, he will never truly leave us. Whether you met him recently, know him as your “Cool Uncle Tom,” or you’ve known him since he was hanging out at the pool hall or Joe, Mike and Gerry’s house on Bridge street, there’s no doubt you have a story to tell about Tom. We’ll love sitting through the millionth time someone tells a story about how Tom pounced at the chance to meet a personal hero or celebrity, how Tom made fast friends at an event or on vacation, when Tom told someone what he “really” thought, or when he brought a little extra excitement on a night out or a concert he went too. Every time someone tells one of Tom’s stories, those little pieces of him that live on in us will be reinvigorated and refreshed. We’ll remember to think of reasons to go to a show instead of making up reasons not to. We’ll try to be that friend who is willing to buy too many tickets before we know who we want to invite. And we’ll always try to remember to bring over some flowers, a newly discovered beer or a carton of eggs as those small, repeated gestures are how he let us know we were loved. As his new best friend David Bowie once said “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring”.
