Please Join Us

Please join us on Sunday, October 7, from 5:30-9:00 at the Belleair Country Club for a celebration of Tom's life. We look forward to sharing memories, your favorite Tom McCune stories, food, wine and good friendship. (TV's are in the bar area to update us on how we handle Indianapolis!)

The Belleair Country Club is located at 1 Country Club Lane in Belleair. Jackets for men are not required however the club does have a "no denim" rule.

We've been amazed at the outpouring of support you have offered- we think of it as a real tribute to Tom and brings so much comfort to us.

We look forward to seeing all those who would like to join us on the 7th!

(We have received calls asking for the address of Chapel by the Sea in order to send donations to the Outreach Program in memory of Tom. The address is 54 Bay Esplanade Clearwater, FL 33767. The phone number is 446-0430.)

Change of Date

We hope that you took the "pencil it in" statement for the date of the Celebration of Life party seriously as we have found that there were some friends with nearly insurmountable conflicts. We are able to change the date to Sunday evening, October 7. Right now we're thinking the time will be from 5:30 until 9:00. We sure hope that this will fit most of your schedules. Firm details to follow.

If you wish to view the obituary, you can log on to http://www.tampabay.com/obits

Save the Date

We are starting to make plans for a Celebration of Life party for Tom. Right now we are penciled in for the evening of Friday, October 5 at the Belleair Country Club.

We are hoping to do a slide show so if you have any photos you would like included, please let us know. Also bring along any memories and good stories since we'll have a time for those who care to share.

Tom's obituary ran in today's St. Petersburg Times- they left out his age but that will be corrected for Sunday's paper. It will also run tomorrow in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

We're doing relatively well for such a sad time in our lives because thinking of Tom can only bring smiles. We've received so many calls and emails each one with offers of help- it's your kindness and friendship that helps to ease the pain. We're looking forward to seeing everyone at the party! We'll keep you posted...

Thursday Morning

It seems unreal to write these words, but Tom passed away last night. We met with the neurologist in the afternoon and his EEG was slightly worse than Monday. We had come to the realization that it was time to let him go; we actually think he left this world days before and was probably wondering why we were hovering around his broken-down body. His body started the process for us- his blood pressure dropped and his heart gave out. He died a little before 9:00pm.

His was definitely a life worth celebrating so we are going to give ourselves a little time together and then start planning a memorial/party. At this point we are thinking several weeks out, depending on what facilities would be available and when, etc. We will definitely keep you posted via email and this blog. If you have any good ideas for the proper send-off for him, let us know.

The unreal part of this is that we know Tom won't be walking through the door. The real part of it is that we knew he pushed his body to the limit (and had a great time doing it)- we feel like we were given a great gift of 15 years with him since it was just good luck that he made it through his first bout with lung cancer in 1992. We know he had a very difficult road ahead of him if had pulled out of this. He most likely had a new primary tumor in his lung which resulted in the brain cancer and he would have been very compromised from suffering through pneumonia. The life he most likely faced would have been one he would not have wanted to live.

We thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We felt them and we know he did too. We truly appreciate all the offers to help by bringing food, etc. but at this time we have more food than we can eat. The best thing for us right now is the peace, comfort and strength that we gather from our wonderful family and friends. Thank you for this gift and your gift of friendship to Tom- he loved you all!

Posting Comments

Several people have inquired about how to post comments. Simply highlight and click the "comments" under the post you would like to leave a comment on. I have it now set so that you don't need to have an account to post a comment. Write your comment (be sure to sign your name), do the word verification then choose "anonymous" under "choose an identity" and hit "publish your comment." If you continue having trouble feel free to send me an email at schampion@commspeed.net and I'll try to help.

Thanks.

Monday Night Update

We met with a neurologist and after being off the sedative and paralytic for 24 hours, the doctor would have expected to see some responsiveness. His kidney function is a little down so it may be taking longer to clear the different medications. An EEG will be performed on Wednesday morning to better assess brain activity as there is some concern about him being without sufficient oxygen during two different procedures. So for now we are waiting and hoping to see some sign of improvement. We really appreciate all of your email, calls, good wishes and prayers. We can feel all the positive and loving vibes coming his and our way. Thank you!

Monday Afternoon

It's just after 4PM on Monday afternoon. I'm waiting to get some news from Tim on Tom's condition.

I found this poem and thought it fitting for the moment as I've been wandering around the house looking at all of the sailing pictures with Zoe...

The Set of the Sails
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

One ship drives east, and another west
With the self-same winds that blow;
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
That decides the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As they voyage along through life;
'Tis the will of the soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.

More info

Unlike probably most of you reading this blog, I have only had the pleasure of knowing Tom for the past couple of years. He's better known as "Poppy" around our house, and I am silently praying for the chance to share more wine, adventures & jokes with him.

I just read this quote tonight that seems rather fitting from the perspective in which I believe Tom has lived his life thus far... It says:

"In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways."

It is with this thought that I have been asked to relay the message that your prayers are all that are needed at this time. As Tom's condition is incredibly fragile at the moment and he is in a sedated state, we ask that you let this be a private time for Teddi, Jen & Tim to be with Tom alone at the hospital.

Please think positive thoughts, and feel free to share your prayers and words on this blog.

Thank you.

Tom

As most of you know, Tom was diagnosed with a brain tumor (a metastasis of lung cancer) and successfully underwent brain surgery last month. He was just a little over the halfway point of his radiation treatments when he contracted pneumonia. As a lung cancer survivor with one lung, this is a serious situation.

Tom has been in Morton Plant Hospital's ICU since last Wednesday evening (Sept. 12th). He is on paralytics, sedatives and a ventilator to help him breathe so that the antibiotics can do their job.

As the family (and many friends) have been by his side through this ordeal, please utilize this blog to check in on his condition. Teddi has only been home long enough to shower and sleep, so if your calls or emails have not yet been returned please understand that this is why.

Please pray for Tom's recovery and keep him in your thoughts.

Thank you.