“The report of my death has been greatly exaggerated.”  – Mark Twain

The family of Tom Waldron is saddened to announce the news of his passing on December 2nd, 2023. Many of you, his readers, were his friends, former students, colleagues and family — and know what an inspiration he was to us all and how much he will me missed. We are glad to keep this blog posted as a tribute to his writing, his many interests and the record of his life.

To the casual reader who may stumble across this blog, we invite you to get to know Tom through his short fiction and personal reflections on everything from baseball to music to his domestic life as a husband and his career as a high school English teacher. What you’ll find here, a voice that can be passionate as it is introspective, vulnerable as it is analytical, remarkably funny, and always sincere, is true to the person we knew and loved.

On January 5th, 2024, more than a hundred people gathered for a celebration of life in his honor. Below you’ll find the links to the program and most of what was shared during the services. Any future inquiries about Tom or his writing can be directed to his son, Nico, at dearmrnico [at] gmail [dot] com.

Program Image by Justin Diaz

Opening Comments & Short Obituary delivered by Nico Amador

Eulogy by Emily Waldron, daughter

Eulogy by Peggy Ormsby, former colleague

Clips from 2009 San Diego Teacher of the Year Awards

Eulogy by Nico Amador, son

Recording of “Good Kisser,” a fictional short story that Tom wrote and recorded as part of the Dimestories open mic in San Diego

Any reader wishing to honor Tom is invited to make a donation in his name to Mission Trails Regional Park.