To
family and to those who knew and loved Tommy Gleason, he will be remembered as
the guy with the big Irish heart and a passion for all things mechanical.
Gleason
died of heart failure on May 11 while he and his wife, Nancy, were visiting an
aunt in New Jersey. The sudden and tragic event left his family, friends and
community in shock.
Hundreds
gathered at three separate devotional services last Tuesday to remember and pay
final respects to the family man, town councilor, engineer, mechanic, handyman,
gardener and all-around good guy who always had time to say hello, lend an ear
or help out.
Nancy
Gleason said the outpouring of support at the Dolby Funeral Chapel, Our Lady of
Perpetual Help and Town Hall auditorium was “Beyond my wildest dreams.” She
singled out eulogies delivered by Tommy’s older brother, Tim, and by Windham
Town Manager Tony Plant as particularly inspiring. That was Tommy, “…they hit
the nail on the head,” commented his younger brother, Todd.
“Everything
was done with class and dignity,” said Nancy. But the procession from Town
Hall, through Windham, to the church was the most moving and impressionable for
her. The hearse, limo and police and fire vehicles departed past a line of town
workers holding a sign “We miss already, Tommy,” and proceeded over Windham
Center Road, River Road to Newhall, Gray Road to Foster’s Corner, and then Route
302 to the church in North Windham. Town workers stood in solitary beside their
freshly shined vehicles at the public works garage, public safety building and
fire house. One family member commented on the procession, “He (Tommy) is standing
on the roof of that lead fire truck, smiling and waving and loving every minute
of this.”
Gleason
was born in New York City. He developed a penchant for building and fixing at
age 12 when he helped his father rebuild the family home in Queens. He repeated
a similar task with his own family years later when he and wife Nancy upgraded
a historic farmhouse in Windham.
After
high school, Gleason pursued a career in bio-chemistry, attending St. Francis
College in Biddeford (now University of New England).
“He
was a whiz in math and science,” according to Nancy. Finding limited
opportunities in that field, he returned to New York and found his calling in
mechanical engineering. After a few years of operating cranes and other heavy
equipment he became director of training for the trade that was his passion. He
taught newbies in the classroom and on the job.
By
the 90s, Tommy and Nancy were ready to leave the stress and crowded living of
New York. Recalling his days in Biddeford and later in Portland attending
engineering seminars, Tommy moved with Nancy and their two daughters, Melanie
and Kathleen, to Gorham, and later to Windham. Soon after the move, Tommy
became interested in local politics while protesting an inventory tax. It was
during this time he met Lane Hiltunen. The two became fast friends and
political pundits, often attending and speaking out at local municipal
meetings.
“When
we showed up at the meetings you’d hear people say, ‘Here come the two
troublemakers’,” Hiltunen said. Their banter and opinions soon took to the
airwaves on Standish community radio station WJZF – 97.1. For two years The Tommy
and Lane Show featured guests and gab and covered all topics from local
roads to international relations. It was during one of their once a week, two
hour broadcasts that Lane assigned a nickname to his broadcast partner. Station
owner and producer, the late David Patterson, had playfully inserted sound
effects of explosions and gun fire under Tommy’s more opinionated remarks,
earning him the title Tommy Gun.
Soon
after the radio show ran its course, Gleason decided to make a run for local
political office. His first attempt at a seat on the Windham Town Council ended
in defeat, but a second try in 2010 was successful.
“He
wanted people to be happy with their government,” according to Hiltunen, “he’d
give you the shirt off his back, but he wouldn’t give you somebody else’s
shirt.” And people weren’t intimidated by him. “His constituents were not
afraid to call him.”
Fellow
town councilor David Nadeau found it difficult to discuss his close
relationship with Gleason. “How do you explain a friend?” he said. But he did
discuss two of Gleason’s more passionate issues: Budgets and rural character.
“He
wanted to move Windham forward through planning a smart budgeting. He believed
in long range planning, anticipating problems down the road, and setting
budgets that would reflect that,” Nadeau explained. He said crisis management
was not his style. And Gleason was an ardent supporter of Windham’s 21st
Century Downtown plan designed to improve traffic and pedestrian movement and
sense of place in North Windham. Wife Nancy affirmed her husband wanted to
maintain Windham’s rural character.
Tom
Bartell, Windham’s Economic Development Director, remembers serving on the town
council when Gleason attended the meetings regularly.
“You
start out thinking this guy’s an adversary,” he remembered, “but then you
realize our intentions are similar.” He was speaking from the standpoint of
working out the differences. “He respected good government and liked a good
debate.”
More
recently Gleason was the council appointed member of the Windham Economic Development
Corporation, which Bartell now directs. “His common sense and clear thinking
was a calming factor. His construction background added perspective” when big
projects were under discussion. His attitude was “Let’s not get this one wrong.
This is very important. He was a very practical thinker.”
Council
chairperson Donna Chapman’s feelings echoed those of others who worked closely
with Gleason. “He was an awesome, big-hearted man.” She said even if you didn’t
see eye-to-eye with Gleason you knew he respected your views and was always
ready to work through problems.
Chapman helped spearhead the “dignitary
funeral” for Gleason. “It’s a fitting way to send him off.”
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Asked
about their life together, Nancy recalled their first date, which didn’t
happen. “He stood me up to go with his friends to a race at National Speedway
on Long Island. He called me the next day to ask when we could go out. I told
him “How about tonight? Or never.” They did go out. And their next anniversary
would have been their 45th.
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