Tom and I were very close friends. Whether it was in a fishing boat, in a corn field hunting for pheasant, or on the golf course, we constantly competed against each other. On the golf team Tom and I were Nos. 1 and 2 man respectively. We always had a winning record both in JV and varsity. He had a lot more shinning moments than I did but he deserved it and he was a better golfer. But out of all those great times the one we cherished most was beating Andrean in a sudden death playoff to earn the final berth to the LaPorte Regionals during the 1969 Sectionals at Pheasant Valley Country Club. The day that Tom passed away in that scuba diving accident in Lake Michigan, he stopped over my house to talk for a few moments. I can honestly say that I have buried other friends, relatives, and my father and mother. But I never have cried as hard as I did when I saw him lying in that coffin at Rees Funeral Home in Hobart that fateful evening. Keep the faith good buddy! I'll see you sometime down the road and we can compete on the links, the lakes, and the in the duck blind another time. You are sadly missed by a lot of people. But always remembered.
My family lived in Hobart but I attended River Forest HS from 1965-1969 because my father was the Vice Principal of the school. Dave Kolczak and I were long time friends, having attended the same Catholic grammar school together. Dave introduced me to Tom when we all played varsity golf in high school. While small of stature, Tom played large on the golf course. He was a big hitter. At that time, few players our age could hit a 9- or an 8-iron farther than Tom. He was a great player and a feared competitor. In retrospect Tom certainly had a lot of confidence in his golf game but he always treated opposing players with respect. This was a graceful quality that I really appreciated about Tom. River Forest had a very good team my senior year. We finished second out of 36 schools in the sectionals that year, losing out in the end to Crown Point. Nevertheless, I remember feeling extremely happy when Hobart High came in third place to earn a spot in the Indiana Boys Regional Tournament. I recall warmly congratulating Tom and Dave after the sectional match play that day at Pheasant Valley CC. We were all very excited about our team accomplishments that day. I was very happy that Tom and Dave and the Hobart guys would be joining us in the Regional Tournament. Sadly it was the last time I would see Tom.
Yet Tom’s memory as a competitor and a gentleman lives on with me more than forty-five years later. He represented his school and community well and it was my pleasure to compete against him on the golf course.
Dave Kolczak (1969)
Tom and I were very close friends. Whether it was in a fishing boat, in a corn field hunting for pheasant, or on the golf course, we constantly competed against each other. On the golf team Tom and I were Nos. 1 and 2 man respectively. We always had a winning record both in JV and varsity. He had a lot more shinning moments than I did but he deserved it and he was a better golfer. But out of all those great times the one we cherished most was beating Andrean in a sudden death playoff to earn the final berth to the LaPorte Regionals during the 1969 Sectionals at Pheasant Valley Country Club. The day that Tom passed away in that scuba diving accident in Lake Michigan, he stopped over my house to talk for a few moments. I can honestly say that I have buried other friends, relatives, and my father and mother. But I never have cried as hard as I did when I saw him lying in that coffin at Rees Funeral Home in Hobart that fateful evening. Keep the faith good buddy! I'll see you sometime down the road and we can compete on the links, the lakes, and the in the duck blind another time. You are sadly missed by a lot of people. But always remembered.
Eric Zalas
My family lived in Hobart but I attended River Forest HS from 1965-1969 because my father was the Vice Principal of the school. Dave Kolczak and I were long time friends, having attended the same Catholic grammar school together. Dave introduced me to Tom when we all played varsity golf in high school. While small of stature, Tom played large on the golf course. He was a big hitter. At that time, few players our age could hit a 9- or an 8-iron farther than Tom. He was a great player and a feared competitor. In retrospect Tom certainly had a lot of confidence in his golf game but he always treated opposing players with respect. This was a graceful quality that I really appreciated about Tom. River Forest had a very good team my senior year. We finished second out of 36 schools in the sectionals that year, losing out in the end to Crown Point. Nevertheless, I remember feeling extremely happy when Hobart High came in third place to earn a spot in the Indiana Boys Regional Tournament. I recall warmly congratulating Tom and Dave after the sectional match play that day at Pheasant Valley CC. We were all very excited about our team accomplishments that day. I was very happy that Tom and Dave and the Hobart guys would be joining us in the Regional Tournament. Sadly it was the last time I would see Tom.
Yet Tom’s memory as a competitor and a gentleman lives on with me more than forty-five years later. He represented his school and community well and it was my pleasure to compete against him on the golf course.