| Though he preceded Georgetown's better-known big men and use of the Big Man U label, he was a visible link in the line-up of big centers to play for the Hoyas, having followed fellow St. Anthony's grad and star center Merlin Wilson to the Hilltop. Tom was not only tall but well-developed, or as they say now, "cut." When he enrolled, it was still early in Coach Thompson's tenure and the program was evolving toward greater distinction. Along with big Ed Spriggs '82, Tom was one-half of the two-headed center that helped Craig "Big Sky" Shelton and John "Bay-Bay" Duren take the Hoyas to the ECAC South championship in 1979. That achievement led Georgetown to its fourth NCAA tournament berth during the final year of competition prior to the formation of the Big East Conference. With his trademark scowling facial expression, Tom was best known for his shot-blocking ability. He was an intimidating force on the defensive end. Because of his presence, very few teams chose to drive to the hoop against the Hoya zone defense. However, most never knew that underneath this sizable fierce-looking Hoya captain was such a soft-spoken gentle man. During this past Mother's Day weekend, Tom's big heart quietly gave out and he passed away while on the job. A supervisor at Comcast Cable where Tom worked wrote to me to tell me that he talked about his years at Georgetown every day and that he just loved his time on the Hilltop. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 17 at Mt. Jezrell Baptist Church, 317 N. Payne Street, Alexandria, Virginia:
viewing 11 am - noon
service 12 noon. In addition, a memorial service will be held at Tom's place of employment on Wednesday, May 21 at 1 pm at the Comcast building, 508 D South Van Doren Street, Alexandria, Virginia. All are welcome to attend. Requiescat in pace. | 
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