Thomas Gendron

In Loving Memory of Thomas “Tom” Gendron A father, husband, brother, friend, mechanic, mentor, and the heart of our family.

If you’re here, it’s because Tom touched your life. He had a way of doing that—without trying, without fanfare, without ever calling attention to himself. He simply showed up, again and again, with kindness, humor, generosity, and an open seat at the patio table. This page honors the man we were lucky enough to call ours.

Tom spent his life under the hood of a car—hands stained with grease, mind sharp as ever, and a heart committed to helping others. He had a gift: he could hear what was wrong with a car before most people even popped the hood. But he used that gift for more than work. He used it to teach, mentor, and lift up others. Young mechanics who worked with him didn’t just get tools and tips—they got life lessons delivered the Tom way: plain-spoken, accessible, wise without trying to be profound. To many, he wasn’t just a coworker. He was a father figure. His kids spent countless hours perched at his giant tool chest, legs dangling, watching him work—absorbing not just the mechanics of a car, but the mechanics of a good life: pride in your work, patience with others, and always help when help is needed.

Tom never needed fancy gifts, big parties, or grand gestures. All he ever wanted for birthdays or holidays was this: “Just come over. Let’s cook burgers and brats on the grill.” Family was his joy. His wife. His kids. His grandkids. His brother. His mother. His friends who became family. Those he met along the way and immediately made feel like they mattered. If you stopped by on a summer weekend, you’d find him on the back patio—Old Style in hand, sun on his face, waiting for someone to pull up, sit a minute, talk, laugh, or complain about a project that inevitably he’d help fix.

He showed up for everything—middle school volleyball games, late-night phone calls, two-hour drives to repair a car window. He was the man who would take you to the airport at 3 a.m. because, of course, he would. He was the one you called when you were scared, stuck, stranded, or overwhelmed—because he never judged, never hesitated, and never failed to come through. It wasn’t just reliability. It was love, lived out loud.

If you knew Tom, you knew the jokes. The sarcasm. The dad-isms. The perfectly timed one-liners that became his signature phrases, so much so that you expected them. He was fun-loving and a kid at heart. He adored arcade games, pranks, teasing the people he loved, and turning ordinary moments into something worth remembering.

Tom’s love was steady and unquestioned. His kids grew up with the rare and powerful gift of never doubting their father’s love—not once, not for a moment. It shaped them into who they are today. He showed his love in actions: in work boots and long drives, in shared projects and shared beers, in saying “I’ll be right there” even before he knew what the problem was. He also carried deep love for those he had lost. After his twin brother Tim passed, Tom visited his gravesite every week—sometimes more. He did the same for his mother. His loyalty was lifelong, and well beyond.

Some of the best memories live in the projects he tackled with his kids and friends. Home improvement, repairs, learning something new—Tom approached it all with the perfect blend of confidence and humor: “How hard could it be?” and “We don’t know how to do it yet, but by God, we’re going to figure it out.” There was cussing. There was laughing. There was pride. There was always a reason to buy another new tool. There was always another project. Those moments—messy, sweaty, imperfect—became some of the most cherished memories of all.

Tom leaves behind more than stories. He leaves behind a standard—a model of what a good father, good husband, good friend, and good human looks like. His impact is woven into every person he helped, taught, laughed with, or loved. This memorial space is for all of us who carry pieces of him. Please share your memories, stories, photos, and Tom-isms. Together we’ll keep telling the story of a man who made this world better simply by being in it.

We love you. We’ll carry you with us always.

Dad-isms (some wise, some ridiculous, all unmistakably Tom): • “HEY! Is for horses.” • “So? Needle and thread” • “Never go set on a 9” • “Through the mouth and over the gums, look out stomach, here it comes.” • “God is good, God is great, Lord give me the biggest plate.” • “Excuse the pigs while the hogs walk through.” • “If a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass.” • “Guess who I saw yesterday? Everybody I looked at.” • “Take your brain out, stick it on a razor blade—it’ll look like a beebee rolling down an eight-lane highway.” • “Take your brain out, stick it on a hummingbird—it’ll suck a horse’s ass and fly backwards.” • “Hi! Babe, you know I don’t do that stuff.” • “If your grandma had nuts, she wouldn’t be your grandma.” • “Want in one hand, shit in the other—see which one fills up faster.” • “You’re a liar and the truth ain’t in ya.” • “It’ll quit hurtin’ when the pain’s gone.” • “Mouse on a motor scooter” • “Sensuous. Since-you-was-up, get me beer." • “Tom’s massage parlor—never rub you wrong” • “It’s your quarter” • “I would rather see a church burn” • “Bah humbug” • “Better coming out than keeping it in” • “Love ya, babe!” • “Not my house” • “What are you doing? Betcha $100 I'm talking to you.” • “You’re a liar and the truth ain’t in ya.” • “That’s Mr. Asshole to you.” • “Here’s your tip: don’t cross the road blindfolded.” • “Yes dear, I understand that.” • “Oh god damn” • “Hi daughter!" • "That sounds like a personal problem" • "Don't touch me. You don't know me." • "Ever notice when your elbow bends your mouth flies open?" • "Glad you got to see me!" • "You see, what we gotta do here is..." •