My uncle Tom was a police officer & a Vietnam vet. As a kid, I was afraid of him. He was tough. He was the guy who was always throwing the kids in the pool at family parties. I didn't like getting thrown in the pool so I would stay away from him. He told it like it was regardless of the consequences. It didn't matter if he hurt your feelings.
But, he also had a soft side. He was a dad. He had 3 sons. He took them to a camp they had in the Adirondacks. They would fish and hunt and come home with tons of stories. That's what I remember most about my uncle...he was always telling stories.
He was the guy that got my brother jobs as a teenager. My uncle knew everyone because he was a cop. His job was "walking the beat." He got to know the business owners on his beat and they loved him. They felt safe because of him.
I remember when I was getting married -- he insisted the guys get tuxes at his friend's shop which of course was on his beat. He got us a "deal."
Our families went on vacation together to the beach. Everyday he would bring a cooler filled with cans of Budweiser, a chair and a hat. When the cooler was empty, it was time to go home.
I've hardly seen him in the last few years. He retired from the police force and he and my aunt separated. The last time I saw him was at my cousin's wedding over a year ago. When I went up to him and said hello, he looked at me like he didn't recognize me. I told him who I was and his expression changed. His face softened and he said, "you get more beautiful everytime I see you." And, that's exactly what I loved about him. Far beneath the tough exterior, you got a glimpse of his soft heart. Sometimes you had to dig pretty deep to get to it, but it was there.
Rest in peace, Uncle Tom..
1948 - 2010
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