June 2022: Cecilia Stahlhood joins Oaklawn

MysteryVisits Communications provided this press release on behalf of Oaklawn during June 2022.

~ Family nurse practitioner Cecilia Stahlhood joins Oaklawn’s Coldwater office ~

COLDWATER, Michigan – While young Cecilia Gawart was growing up in her hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan, her family’s trove of popular magazines seemed destined to steer her toward a fulfilling career in medicine.

“When I was a kid in the early 1980s, my parents used to read the Reader’s Digest, and I used to love reading all the medical articles,” she said. 

Now married with a family of her own, Cecilia Stahlhood is preparing to further her medical career with the Oaklawn Medical Group. In her role as a family nurse practitioner, she has been assigned to work out of the Oaklawn Primary Care office based at 375 N. Willowbrook Road in Coldwater. Appointments there may be made by calling (517) 924-1605. 

Stahlhood is no stranger to the Coldwater area, having worked with several of the medical providers there during her clinical rotations as a nurse practitioner student. 

That academic pathway actually began when Cecilia — barely in her teens — browsed through those copies of Reader’s Digest. One of the most popular features in the magazine was a series of health-based informative articles with titles such as “I Am Joe’s Heart” and “I Am Joe’s Spleen,” focusing on the various ways the human body functions. 

“I was drawn by the human-interest pieces and was fascinated with what people went through — how they could survive health problems and come out all right on the other side,” she said. 

After graduation from Harper Creek High School, Stahlhood earned a bachelor of science degree in 1994 from Western Michigan University, focusing on her initial career choice in community health education, which occupied her for the next several years.

In time, however, Stahlhood recognized that nursing “was something that I’d always wanted to do.” As a result, she went on to pursue an associate of science degree in nursing, graduating from Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek in 2002.

For more then a decade and a half, Stahlhood worked as a registered nurse, gaining clinical experience in pediatrics, women’s health, surgery, orthopedics, neurology and trauma medicine. 

Stahlhood obtained a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Chamberlain University in Downers Grove, Illinois, graduating in 2019, and went on to each a master of science degree in nursing from the same institution, graduating in 2021. 

As a student, Stahlhood gained valuable experience in several of the Oaklawn Medical Group’s primary-care offices, including those at Olivet, Beadle Lake near Battle Creek, Michigan Avenue Primary Care in Marshall and the Coldwater office where she now is based.

Stahlhood is licensed in Michigan as an advanced-practice registered nurse and is certified as a family nurse practitioner by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, of which she is a member. 

Although Oaklawn has a broad range of services throughout the region, Stahlhood observed that its roots lie in the communities it serves.

“Oaklawn is smaller in nature, so it feels more like home and family,” she said. “I did my clinical rotations at Oaklawn and got that feeling at each office where I worked.”

Stahlhood and her husband Rahjah reside in Battle Creek with her stepson Kadyn, 15, and her daughter Aleena, 12. 

“We enjoy being outside,” Stahlhood said of her family activities. That includes water-based activities at Michigan lakes, including kayaking, boating and motor camping. 

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June 2022: Fourth of July parade gears up

ABOVE: A traditional sight in Marshall on Independence Day has been a parade of children and parents guiding bikes, wagons and pets around the Fountain Circle. This year’s Oaklawn Pet, Bike & Wagon Parade again will be part of activities in the community for the Fourth of July. 

MysteryVisits Communications prepared the following press release on behalf of Oaklawn during June 2022. 

~ Plans gear up for Oaklawn's Fourth of July Pet, Bike & Wagon Parade in Marshall ~ 

MARSHALL, Michigan – Hundreds of kids – along with friendly animals, colorfully decorated bicycles and other wheeled vehicles – are expected to step off at 10 a.m. Monday, July 4, in this picturesque city for the 2022 Oaklawn Pet, Bike & Wagon Parade.

The parade will circle Brooks Memorial Fountain as part of the city’s Independence Day observance, and kick off many other Independence Day activities. There is no fee to participate in the parade, but registration is required.

At 11 a.m., a lunch featuring barbecued chicken, hotdogs and ice cream will get under way, sponsored by the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance, along with a performance by the Marshall Rotary Community Band. 

Sara Jack, an Oaklawn marketing associate, will be the master of ceremonies for the parade.

To be assured of participation in the parade, registrations are urged by July 1. Young people who want to be part of the parade are being encouraged to register as soon as possible, and several options are available.

Registrations are being accepted entirely online at oaklawnhospital.org/parade-registration, where complete rules and regulations also may be viewed.

Late registrations will be accepted only from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on the day of the event, in front of the Crary Condominiums building, near the National House Inn.  

Children ages 3 through 12 are invited to create costumes and decorations that reflect the Independence Day celebration. A parent’s authorization is required in order for any child to participate in the parade. All animals must be properly caged or leashed.

Ribbons will be presented to all participants, plus first-, second- and third-place honors awarded in each of the categories – pets, bikes and wagons. Awards in the form of “Marshall Bucks” will be presented to the top three winners in each category. 

All bikers riding in the parade must wear helmets. Oaklawn is making helmets available for $5 to those who don’t bring their own. Lineup for the parade will begin at 9:40 a.m. the day of the event.

For additional information, contact the hospital’s marketing office at (269) 789-3942. Additional information may be found online at wwwoaklawnhospitalorg/parade. 

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June 2022: Newborn carries triplets' legacy

ABOVE: Trenton and Courtney Murphy of Olivet, Michigan, are shown in foreground with their first child, Tatum Trenton Murphy, born June 8, 2022, at Oaklawn in Marshall, Michigan. Both parents were born at Oaklawn and Trenton is a member of Oaklawn’s only recorded set of triplet births. In background are, from left, the Murphys’ family physician Dr. David Byrens, Heather Beck, RN and Birth Center Director Tracee Hathaway, RN, all of whom assisted when Trenton and his two sisters were born in 1993.

MysteryVisits Communications provided this press release on behalf of Oaklawn during June 2022. 

~ Olivet family’s newborn carries legacy of Oaklawn’s only recorded triplet births ~

Courtney Murphy of Olivet, Michigan, is convinced that, when her new son Tatum is old enough to have children of his own, he should plan for them to be delivered at Oaklawn in Marshall, Michigan.

That’s not just because Courtney and her new baby both were born at Oaklawn. Her husband, Trenton Murphy, and his two sisters — triplets — also were born there. In fact, Trenton is a member of the only set of triplets known to have been born at Oaklawn. 

When Trenton’s own firstborn child was delivered at Oaklawn’s Birth Center last week, some of the medical staff who attended the triplets’ birth in February 1993 were on hand to assist in — and congratulate him on — the remarkable situation.

For his part, Tatum Trenton Murphy was born at 12:10 a.m. June 8, weighing in at 8 pounds and 15 ounces and measuring 20½ inches long.

“In our family, the firstborn son takes the dad’s name,” Trenton said. The custom has been practiced over four generations, he added. 

Trenton is a lifelong Olivet resident. His wife, Courtney, is a former Ceresco resident. 

Trenton’s sisters were Erikka Murphy and Erinne Murphy — the latter now Erinne Siedelberg of Olivet. Their parents were Mark and Suzanne Murphy, both of whom have remained in the Olivet region. Suzanne has remarried and now is known as Suzanne Hall. Erikka Murphy died in an accident in 2000, Trenton said. 

Eric Ebner, M.D., delivered the triplets in 1993 and David Byrens, M.D., assisted after their birth. Byrens continued to serve the family as Trenton and his sisters grew up. 

“We have always kept a scrapbook in our unit, and we had pictures from that time of the parents and the triplets,” said Tracee Hathaway, RNC, director of Oaklawn’s Birth Center, who was an Oaklawn nurse at the time the triplets were born.

“Now Dr. Byrens is Tatum’s doctor as well,” Hathaway said. Ebner, also still on Oaklawn’s staff, stopped by to congratulate the family, she said.

Dr. Kathryn Young delivered Tatum, Hathaway said, adding that other Oaklawn staffers present for Trenton’s birth as well as that of Tatum included Heather Beck, RN, and Jill Hays, RN. 

“We all remember taking care of Suzanne and the babies,” Hathaway said. Other nurses who assisted in Tatum’s delivery were Autum Lewis, RN, and Kyleigh Bloom, RN, she said. 

“I went to Dr. Byrens my whole life because he was our family doctor,” Trenton Murphy said in explaining why the couple chose Oaklawn for their son’s delivery. “I felt comfortable going to a place that we knew and didn’t have to drive far. It worked out great for us.”

“I thought it was amazing” at Oaklawn, Courtney Murphy said in describing the staff’s effort. “I felt very comfortable the whole time. They took very good care of Tatum.”

“I thought we had a great experience,” Trenton Murphy added. “The doctors were all great and the nurses were awesome. It was a good experience all the way around.”

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June 2022: Big turnout for Color Classic

ABOVE: Kids and adults participating in the fun run Saturday, June 11, get doused with different-colored powders by volunteers. It was all part of the 2022 Color Classic 5k & Fun Run in Marshall. 

MysteryVisits Communications provided this press release on behalf of Oaklawn during June 2022. 

~ Nearly a thousand runners gather for Oaklawn Color Classic 5k & Fun Run ~ 

MARSHALL, Michigan – Jack Bidwell and Brooke Waito were named the first-place male and female winners Saturday, June 11, during the 2022 Color Classic 5k & Fun Run, which brought nearly a thousand participants to this community’s downtown. 

With a time of 17 minutes and 53 seconds, Bidwell – a 15-year-old resident of Marshall – scored the top speed during the race. Waito, 18, also a Marshall resident, came in with a time of 21 minutes and 38 seconds. 

Other top male runners in the event were Conner Fountain, 16, of Olivet, whose time was 18 minutes and 22 seconds, and Benjamin Gautsche, 14, of Coldwater, coming in at 19 minutes and 08 seconds.  

Other top female runners in the event were Megan Sterly, 17, of Concord, whose time was 23 minutes and 13 seconds, and Allison Gautsche, 13, of Coldwater, who ran the course in 23 minutes and 26 seconds. 

The event grew out of the longtime annual Hospitality Classic and drew 930 participants, the largest such gathering since 2015. 

“It was extremely gratifying to see how many hundreds of people turned out to join in the events, and to see all the smiling people lined up on the streets to watch them,” Jack said. 

Festivities got under way in sunny and pleasant weather as avid runners and walkers gathered near the Fountain Circle at 9 a.m., said Sarah Jack, an Oaklawn marketing associate who is coordinating the event.

During the “color run,” Jack said, runners were given white shirts and face-protecting gear. At multiple checkpoints during the races, they were doused by volunteers with powders of different colors. All materials were approved under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and runners could avoid the powder if they wished.

Participants in this year's event ranged in age from 1 year old to 77. Most were from communities throughout Michigan, but other runners and walkers came from California, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. 

George Youngdahl of Marshall sang the National Anthem at the onset of the day’s activities, accompanied by a color guard from Marshall's Scout Troop No. 373. 

Eaton Corp. was the event’s overall top corporate sponsor. John Lubis, engineering manager at Eaton Corp., expressed thanks to the Oaklawn volunteers who assisted during the day as well as to Marshall's public-safety personnel. 

Among those volunteers was Oaklawn President and CEO Gregg Beeg, who handed out medals as well as bottles of water to race participants at the finish line. 

An afterparty was held at Grand River Brewery with live music and other activities. 

“We’re very grateful for all of the community’s ongoing support, and for all of the help from the volunteers,” Jack said. “They really pitched in to make this one of the most enjoyable events that we can share in Marshall.” 

Full race results may be found at www.runsignup.com by clicking on the “Find a race” button. The website also allows visitors to follow many race events, including participants' statistics and times. 

In past years, the Hospitality Classic's 5k course record for males was set by Duane Daughtery in 1997, with a time of 14 minutes and 56. The 5k record for females was set by Jenny Goodpaster in 2000, with a time of 17 minutes and 19 seconds. 

Each registered participant received a race T-shirt, neck gaiter, sunglasses and a medal. Also in the bags of “swag” for registered participants were free pint glasses or slushy cups from Grand River Brewery.

Students from eight regional elementary schools participated in the Youth Fitness Club, formerly known as the 100 Lap Club. The Youth Fitness Club is being made possible with support from Eaton Corp. Participants will include Marshall Academy for the first time. The seven schools that have been longtime participants are Gordon, Hughes, Walters, MarLee, Harrington, Sonoma and Union City.

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May 2022: Oaklawn gears up for 'Color Run'

ABOVE: Some of the items of “swag” registered participants can expect to receive during the 2022 Color Classic 5k & Fun Run on Saturday, June 11, in downtown Marshall, Michigan. 

MysteryVisits Communications submitted this press release on behalf of Oaklawn during May 2022. 

~ Plans gear up for Oaklawn’s Color Run in downtown Marshall on June 11 ~ 

MARSHALL, Michigan — Downtown Marshall will be alive with fun on the morning of Saturday, June 11, as the 2022 Color Classic 5k & Fun Run gets under way. 

“Registrations are coming in fast now and I believe runners and walkers of all ages are getting excited about our first-ever ‘color run' theme,” said Sarah Jack, an Oaklawn marketing associate who is coordinating the event. 

The festivities, which have grown out of the longtime annual Hospitality Classic, will get under way as avid runners and walkers begin to gather near the Fountain Circle at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11.

During the “color run,” Jack said, runners will be given white shirts and face-protecting gear. At multiple checkpoints during the races, they will be doused by volunteers with powders of different colors. All materials are approved under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and consist of cornstarch, food dyes and baking soda. Runners can avoid the powder by running to the left side of the course, Jack said. 

As runners cross the finish line, they will be given a small container of powder and encouraged to gather for a group photo where everyone will throw their powder in the air as photographers capture the moment.  

“It’s going to be a safe, fun and very colorful experience for all involved,” she said.

Each registered participant will receive a race T-shirt, neck gaiter, sunglasses — available in adult and kids sizes — and a medal. Also in the bags of “swag” for registered participants will be free pint glasses from Grand River Brewery featuring the Color Run race logo, she said. To be guaranteed a race T-shirt and medal, registrations must be received prior to midnight on May 27.

“To keep the fun going, Grand River plans a party at its restaurant on Michigan Avenue in Marshall, beginning at 11 a.m.,” Jack said. “They’re planning half-off appetizers, live music and games, and will serve any adult who displays his or her race bib their first beer for a dollar. Young people who participate also will be able to get free slushies in a color-changing Color Run / Grand River cup.” 

The schedule calls for a 5k race to start at 10 a.m., with a corresponding 5k walk at the same time. Those will be followed by a one-mile “fun run” at 11 a.m. Those events will begin and end in front of the Honolulu House, as in past years. 

People who wish to participate at home will be able to do so by registering for the corresponding virtual race, walk or run.

Jack said Oaklawn’s volunteers are looking forward to making this year’s race as memorable as it has been in past years.

“As usual, people will be coming together to help encourage people in our community to stay healthy and have fun doing it,” she said.

Information about this year’s event — including how to register — may be found online at oaklawnhospital.org/run. The cost for adults to sign up for any race is $25, $15 for youths ages 6-18 and free for children 5 and younger. A $2.45 signup fee also applies. Those who wish to compete in multiple events may sign up for one and run them all.

Those who register after midnight May 27 will not be guaranteed race T-shirts or medals. 

Students from eight regional elementary schools are expected to participate in the Youth Fitness Club, formerly known as the 100 Lap Club. The Youth Fitness Club is being made possible with support from Eaton Corp. Participants will include Marshall Academy for the first time. The seven schools that have been longtime participants are Gordon, Hughes, Walters, MarLee, Harrington, Sonoma and Union City. 

“To add more excitement to the program, we’ve modified the club requirements,” Jack said. Depending on grade level, students now have the choice of completing a certain number of laps or minutes of exercise.  

“By making this change, we hope to encourage all types of fitness, rather than focus only on running,” Jack said. “The students can be as creative as they like, as long as they are being active.”  

April 2022: Alwyn Downs becomes Emerald Hills

The following press release was submitted by MysteryVisits Communications during April 2022 on behalf of BluFish Consulting of Marshall, Michigan.

~ Grand opening planned April 30 as former Alwyn Downs becomes Emerald Hills ~ 

MARSHALL, Michigan — A metamorphosis is under way at the former Alwyn Downs golf course, where changes already are visible and more are to come in the months and years ahead. 

Rebranding and an array of improvements are under way at the 6,207-yard course and restaurant at 1225 S. Kalamazoo Ave., which lay closed and neglected for much of the past few years.

To mark those changes, the new Emerald Hills Golf Club will celebrate a grand opening beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 30, for the renamed 18-hole regulation-length course. The restaurant will be open and live music will be performed on the newly remodeled outdoor patio. 

Information about the course and restaurant may be found online at the new website for the business, EmeraldHillsMarshall.com. 

Ann Arbor-based Norfolk Homes purchased the site in early 2020 to transform the property into housing. Its co-owners, real-estate developers Patricia Williams and Jim Franke, moved to Marshall in 1979 and are the daughter and son of the late Marshall resident and benefactor Tom Franke. Norfolk Homes produces custom-designed homes and condominiums throughout southeast Michigan.  

“We’re looking forward to having people stop by to see the improvements we’ve made so far, and let them know about the work that’s coming,” Jim Franke said. “We believe people will be glad to know we’re doing everything possible to transform this destination into a beautiful jewel for Marshall.”

Exterior renovations already have been completed to the restaurant, which is being renamed the Tavern at Emerald Hills. A new roof, windows, doors and siding have been installed, updated lighting and fans placed on the patio and a pro shop restored to the clubhouse, according to Joel Tompkins, manager of the club and tavern.

“We will focus on carry-out with dine-in options at first,” Tompkins said. “We have seating for about 150 people — 60 inside on the first floor and about 80 to 90 on the patios outside. Our initial menu will include pastas, salads and wraps with fries. We have a full bar and soft drinks and eventually we’ll have a structured cocktail list with seasonal drink offerings.”

In time, the tavern is expected to operate year-round. That effort will call for extensive future interior renovations, to be achieved in stages.

The past year also has seen extensive work on the course’s fairways and greens, which opened to golfers in 2021, Tompkins said, adding that a short-range practice area of 50 to 75 yards also is under construction.

“Due to the 2020 lockdown, we were unable to care for the course for several months and it had become overgrown, so we mowed everything down and turned a hayfield back into a golf course,” Tompkins said. “We took out 200 round bales of hay just in that first summer.” 

That work was followed by a broad-based improvement effort to make the course more playable, he said. Dozens of trees were removed, the greens and fairways reseeded and an intensive fertilization program launched. 

“We’ll continue to improve the course conditions for all golfers in the years ahead,” Tompkins said, adding that the course is expected to remain in its current 18-hole state at least through the rest of calendar year 2022.  

Development of additional housing is expected in the years ahead, although when that will take place remains uncertain. When that happens, two holes are expected to be removed from the current golf course. 

“Once we’re at 16 holes, we still will operate as a 18-hole course, with two holes played twice,” Tompkins said. “We won’t be changing the game, just adjusting a couple of hole numbers.”

The current development plan calls for a variety of home styles and keeping a nine-hole course.   

Meanwhile, the golf club’s staff is working to recruit regional leagues for the upcoming season, proclaiming its new status on Facebook and online resources. People with questions about the club’s and tavern’s operations may call (269) 367-2121. 

“We still are looking for more leagues to sign up by the end of April,” Tompkins said. League representatives are urged to contact him to discuss special rates and structured pricing, as part of an overall strategy to restore the course’s long reputation as a destination for diners and golfers.

Membership benefits include a 10 percent reduction on various offerings, including all items in the pro shop and food purchased through the tavern. One-hour lessons are being offered for $100 with staff member Matt Coulson, a PGA-certified golfing professional, with a 25 percent discount for club members.

As a part of the overall development, the company has built three homes on Oak Drive, in the new Emerald Hills development bordering the golf course’s northeast edge.

Occupancy of the two-story, single-family homes is expected to be available during the spring season. More information about Norfolk Homes and its offerings is available online at norfolk-homes.com. 

During April, Norfolk Homes expects to break ground on four new units as part of an eventual 32-unit development to be known as The Townhomes at Emerald Hills. 

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March 2022: In memory of Tom Franke

A reminiscence by John C. Sherwood about the late Thomas F. Franke of Marshall, Michigan. 

My life would be infinitely poorer had I never known Tom Franke, who left this realm March 23 at his home in Marshall, Michigan. However, a kind and benevolent universe brought us together and my gratitude is profound.

I’d moved back to Michigan after a decade on the East Coast, and after two years living in Union City, I was looking around for a place to live closer to my hometown of Marshall. Somehow, my mom’s longtime friend Creighton Sherman learned of that and during a 2013 fundraiser for the American Museum of Magic he introduced me to Tom, who Creighton knew was looking for someone to occupy his Oak Hill apartment. Tom asked me to come to his magnificent 1853 mansion for a conversation, clearly planning to size me up and ferret out just how disreputable I really was.

As it turned out, that conversation in the main parlor was an unexpected delight. It turned out Tom and I shared multiple interests — ancient and modern history, prehistoric megalithic monuments, science fiction, live theater, world travel and especially travel in England. I'd also known one of the mansion's previous owners, so Tom picked my brain about what I remembered. When Tom mentioned he had financial dealings with hotels in the U.K. county of Norfolk, I was taken aback. I’d traveled in Norfolk repeatedly since 1974 and I’d frequently visited my best friend Joe Cromley at his home in the Norfolk village of Gissing. Tom and I ended up sharing stories about our favorite places around Norfolk and elsewhere in England, and that rather sealed things. Tom showed me the apartment and that was that.

In time, Tom became much more than a landlord. In fact, that first conversation had set down a solid foundation for a lasting friendship — indeed, a mutual admiration society that fostered love. It began initially when I’d return from work in Battle Creek (or later when I was working in Marshall), and Tom would greet me at the back door to ask about my supper plans. Sometimes he’d be happy checking out the burgers at the truck stop, but more typically we’d end up at the “Oak Hill table” at Schuler’s. On other occasions, he’d inform me that a bunch of oysters in the fridge needed opening; of course, I got my share, although I was deeply frightened by the shucking gadget I swear was devised by Monsieur Guillotin.

Tom loved to be on the go and especially loved to bring people along with him. As a result, I’ve lost count of the number of events on which I was allowed to tag along — Schuler’s dinners, concerts by the Brass Band of Battle Creek, theatrical plays ranging from Benton Harbor to Chelsea and drives around Marshall to study locations where he thought improvements could be made. Because Tom’s active brain came up with a host of such ideas, we often found ourselves engaged in thoughtful musings about how the community might be helped by bringing people together to create this or that — a county museum, a building addition, a train stop, a better-organized tour facility, a stronger school district and much more.

ABOVE: Tom chats with a visitor to his home -- actor John Rhys-Davies, noted for his roles in the "Lord of the Rings" and "Indiana Jones" films.

Our mutual love for live theater led to many evenings when Tom and I would sit on my couch as I typed a history of The Franke Center or we filled out an application for a grant or considered the wording of a fund-raising letter. My own involvement at the American Museum of Magic and at the Great Escape Stage Company led him to support both institutions in multiple ways. In 2016, we even made sure to seat Tom in the seance circle when we called on the spirit of Harry Houdini to make an appearance. By not showing up to meet Tom, Harry lost a great opportunity to find out what a real miracle-maker looked like.

When Kim Forde and I began to date in 2016, Tom approved and encouraged the match by hosting many a lively, libation-fueled gathering in the parlor. Kim and I had met at Great Escape, and Tom further honored us by letting us hold our theatrical parties in the Nancy Boyer Pub just outside my apartment door, where Tom was always a lively participant.

ABOVE: In 2016, Tom looks on as John lowers a bagel-and-lox sandwich into Harry Houdini's Milk Can Escape in preparation for a seance at the American Museum of Magic.

Kim and I were drawn to the East Coast for professional reasons in 2020, but returned time and again to Marshall, always stopping in to visit Tom. When Kim and I married in Connecticut in the fall of 2021, Tom insisted we hold our Marshall reception on the Oak Hill terrace, then pushed beyond his growing infirmities to join the group, hold court and converse in happy fashion for hours — and then insisted on having Kim and I join him in the house for another round of conversation and drinks. He loved to have us there, and we loved him in return. “A lovely, naughty, joyful man” is how Kim describes him. I agree entirely, especially considering the joy Tom always seemed to crave and create.

We didn’t want to let that go. Biweekly phone calls helped us catch up with him, and vice versa, and although we knew he was growing weaker, we always were encouraged by his dreams. He’d talk about a trip he’d like to make, or someone he’d like to visit or see. His hopefulness was unending and his drive to do just one more thing nearly inexhaustible. That’s why, even now, I can’t let Tom go. He’ll always be there in my mind, a vital, loving star in a stellar decade, etching a powerful and happy memory that can't be erased.

Obituary and service information

John Sherwood

March 25, 2022