This photo is dedicated to the memory of my friend Tom Riem.
Tom and I served together as co-directors of our church, First United Methodist
Church, weekly volunteer operated food pantry for five years. We made a great
team, something I have sorely missed doing since I started my job at WorkOne
two years ago. We had a great deal of fun working together. I had always hoped
that when I retire I would resume my duties working with him at the pantry.
Tom passed away unexpectedly this weekend (probably Sunday).
He was a couple years older than me.
Let me tell you some recollections about him. Tom was a
loving father. He often talked about his two daughters and I particularly remember
when his daughtier graduated from college three years ago and they went to
Florida to celebrate.
He was dedicated to his parents who had, up to the time of
his father's death, been married to his mother for 81 years (he was 102, his
wife 101). He visited them often. They lived near Traverse City, Michigan, I
believe, and I never heard him complain about those long trips up.
Tom was always the first to arrive on Tuesday mornings to
set up for the pantry. As you can imagine, COVID played havoc on the pantry's
operations and Tom was on top of it. The week-to-week goings on went smoothly
in part due to his dedication to the serving those in need.
Tom loved the church, and he had a wry wit about many things
related to church, life, and people in general. He and I often traded gentle
jabs with one another. He was a Trump supporter and I not even remotely. If
anything can be said, it is that friendship and our dedication to the pantry
transcended politics... Washington, are you listening? I am a Ford man, he an
Audi enthusiast. We almost always parked our cars together (to prevent anyone
from dinging our car doors).
I noticed Tom was absent from services two weeks ago and I
thought that odd. Strangely enough, I even wondered if he was ill... and now I
know.
So... Tom... God bless. I am going to miss you, our church
will miss you, and I know your family and friends will.
Please keep a good thought or two for Tom's family.
