Adjectives and Adverbs

By Harold Falber

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. On a normal first Saturday of September, 20 or so Kiwanians would’ve been gathered in the Norfield Congregational Church parish hall, Treasurer Dan Lerner at the door checking people in for breakfast and small groups gathering around the serving area for coffee and coffee cakes before breakfast.

But it wasn’t a normal first Saturday. We were gathered to celebrate the life of a fellow Kiwanian cut short. The third in a relatively short period of time. Our friend, colleague, mentor, and leader of many of our activities, Tom Glass, passed on July 3, and here we were, gathered to celebrate an amazing life.

The room, typically sparsely filled, was packed.

Of course, several speakers spoke this past Saturday, but the one we’re writing about is his long-time friend and Kiwanis Club of Weston Past President, Harry Spencer.

There was standing room only with Tom’s family, friends, colleagues from The Wall Street Journal, Westonites, our school superintendent, a school principal, representatives of Lachat Town Farm, clergy, and us—his Kiwanis family.

As Harry said, he was honored to be asked to share remarks at this bittersweet celebration on behalf of Weston Kiwanis. Harry was the perfect choice. As a newspaperman and a journalism lover, Tom would have loved Harry’s cadence and delivery.

Among my past corporate responsibilities, I was a speechwriter. And I can say that Harry’s heartfelt message was a speech that I couldn’t have reached into Harry’s heart and pulled out. 

What struck me was Harry’s encapsulation of a life well-lived, not by soaring oratory and his usual strength telling short stories in long-format commentary that always charmed us during our Saturday meetings, but rather by his linking of softly delivered staccato recitation of words that others had used to describe their feelings about Tom.

Of course, Harry used a small portion of the time to recite all that Tom did for Kiwanis, Weston, and our schools. Still, the strength and emotion of his remarks were encapsulated by his sharing of the words and phrases of his fellow Kiwanians. And with that, I’ll leave the rest of this Kiwaniscope report to Harry’s generous sharing of those very adjectives and adverbs from those Kiwanians who loved Tom so much.

• A man of many coats. He wore them all with grace, wisdom, and humility.
• Extraordinary storyteller,
• laughter, and strength.
• Tom was vibrant and contributed so much
• Active young 82!
• Wealth of knowledge wrapped in a “cool exterior”
• Dapper dresser
• A good person,
• Smart,
• Handsome,
• Charming,
• Erudite,
• Classy,
• Kind,
• Curious,
• Helpful,
• Elegant,
• Organized,
• Capable,
• Confident,
• Generous,
• Witty,
• Creative,
• Consistent,
• Conscientious,
• Collegial (albeit he could be an effective “arm twister” corralling),
• Honest!
• Beyond Kiwanis
• Committed
• Active
• Involved – never just a member
• Inspiration
• Force
• He cared passionately.

Harry ended his remarks with the following statement: “ Tom left an indelible mark on all of us. I know we all miss him a great deal.”

I know it speaks for us all.

Kiwanis photographs contributed by Harry Spencer and Harold Falber.