Friday, June 30, 2023
Although Laura knew Estelle professionally, Estelle hired Laura to teach the gifted students in Monongalia County, we both met Tom (no one called him Thomas) at the Beau Monde Dance Club where Tom held court as the “life of every party” at every one of the club’s formal dance parties.
Always impeccably dressed, Tom would warmly great us and then proceed to demonstrate how to perform each dance with flare and panache. It was like being in the presence of a somewhat shorter Fred Astaire attired in a white tuxedo jacket instead of black tails. He always cruised the room looking for those he hadn’t welcomed and making sure that no woman would need to sit out a dance because her escort refused to dance.
In his later years, when Tom got interested in Zumba where he could exercise and dance it was a shock to see him in shorts with a sweat band around his head. He still managed to look well dressed in his Zumba outfit and, of course, when the instructor asked for a volunteer to help her on the stage, Tom was right there.
Although his stroke slowed him down, it didn’t extinguish his blazing personality. Every time we would meet Tom and Estelle, he always had a typical Tom warm enthusiastic greeting for us.
We will miss Tom, but still see an image of him “dressed to the nines” in his white tuxedo jacket with his broad smile reaching out for a handshake and a hug.
Love and condolences. May his memory be a blessing.
Laura & Richard Cohen
