To capture Tom Horn’s life in a few minutes is really quite
an impossibility. THIS is his legacy.
This is what Tom would want as his legacy. This is what is making Tom smile
today. His family and his friends of his
most magnificent lifetime.
Tom was a very social active individual. He thrived on being
with people, interacting with people, and laughing with people. He truly LIVED every moment of EVERY day of
his life. He maintained friendships from
childhood, through his career, and
certainly through his retirement.
EVERYONE knew Tom Horn. I don’t think there was ever a time myself or
any of his friends or family invited him to an event, that his standard reply
wasn’t, “I’m Available.” But his
“available” meant so much more though.
You didn’t just get Tom as a “polite, I need to make an appearance type”
available. You got the essence of his heart and his soul. With soul being the
keyword. Tom lived his life and honored his faith through every pore of his body.
I have often heard it stated, that it is a person’s actions not words
that define their legacy. This was the epitome of our Tom.
My cousin, Jimmy, and I had the blessing of going to Ireland
with Tom in October of 2014. It truly
was an experience of a lifetime. We were able to find his grandparents and our
great-grandparents home they emigrated from. I have a picture of the three of
us together in front of that stone structure. What a blessing! When we were coming through customs, as we
were leaving Ireland, I had Tom’s passport and declaration card with me. The
counter was high, and Tom was using a wheelchair (which he rarely would do, but
agreed to in the airport because of the distance in walking.) His wheelchair was low, and down from the
counter. The custom’s clerk saw the birthdate of 1/22/12 on his passport. She
looked at me and said, “oh, you’re traveling with a two-year-old.” I said, “no, I’m traveling with a
102-year-old.” She had the same reaction as everyone did. “Oh my Mr. Horn, you don’t look 102!” She must have shared our story with our
flight attendant, because as the attendant was going through the cabin checking
seatbelts, etc. she leaned down and whispering asked me if Tom would mind if
she announced his age on the plane. I told her not at all, that he would love
it! After all the safety checks, she
then stated, “we have a very important person on board with us today. Mr. Horn
in seat 29A will be 103 years old in January.”
Everyone clapped, and I do believe that everyone on the plane at some
time, during that 7 hour flight, stopped by to shake his hand or ask him a
question. But one question resonates with me still. He was asked what was his secret
to such a ripe age? His answer, “I’ve
had good family and friends, good health, and a good church.” That was Tom
Horn. His family, his friends, his
health, and mainly his church!!!
I have been identified by several different adjectives and
descriptions through my life, but the one that makes me the proudest is when
someone will say to me, “Oh, you are Tom Horn’s niece.” Yes, I most definitely am Tom Horn’s niece.
We are his nieces, his nephews, Betty Ann, Mike, Jimmy, Patricia, Sharon, Suzanne,
Ruth Marie, Kara and his great nieces and nephews, Lea Ann, Jimmy, Kevin, Pam,
Carrie, Angela, Whitney, John Michael, Maritsa, Debbie, Cindy, Beth, Brent,
Pam, Donnie, David Michael, and his great great nieces and nephews. Jerri and her children Eric, Amy, and Bonita,
whom he considered his daughter and grandchildren. We are his family! We are his friends! We are
his church! We are his legacy. And he is oh so proud of that.
I have a calendar on my desk of quotes from St. Mother
Theodore Guerin, the founder of the Sisters of Providence. When I flipped my calendar over, when I
returned to work on Monday, the quote from January 3, the date Tom went home,
stated:
“The greatest in heaven is the one who on Earth has been the
servant of all.” How fitting, how wonderfully
fitting!
This world is a better place because for 103 years and 346
days, Tom Horn walked amongst us. There will never be another. While we are
heart broken to lose the patriarch of our family, our beloved uncle, our
beloved friend, we need only shut our eyes and open our ears and our hearts. I’m sure we will hear the resounding trumpets
that most definitely played when he arrived home! Rest peacefully, Tom. You were, you are, and you will always be
greatly, greatly loved! And, yes, Tom,
in your spectacular honor, we will always be AVAILABLE!!
