My Editor/Camera Man and Friend has left this world. We pray he is in heaven surrounded by good souls and hanging out near all the animals in heaven. His creative eye is the big camera on the world right now. Perhaps he can help God edit all the ugly scenes on earth. We pray everything is perfect and beautiful for him in heaven. We pray his soul is at peace.
He had such a big heart. He used his talent to help Public Access Producers make their visions a reality. He could have made a lot of money in the industry with his Editing and Camera skills but worked for minuscule amounts of money to help others. He bought all his own equipment. He took such great care of it and it was everything to him yet he lent it to me to do away shoots for my kids’ races.
He worked with me for a few years. He was so happy my show made it to Fairfax County Public Schools as a guest for a year or so before Covid. He said, ” not everyone at Public Access can do that. We have to keep working at it.” I could not have done it without him! He inspired me and kept me accountable when I didn’t want to do a show or edit. He believed in Producers that followed their passion to make a difference in the world even though they did not get paid for their work. He was happy to eat a meal with you as payment if he was not paid. He would say, “they bought me dinner.”
I always tried to get him to work for big companies, they wanted him during the election especially. I told him he could still do his show – “Bad Driving Chicken” and help all the Producers he worked with. I felt bad he worked from the heart. Tom had talent and a creative mind. He made such a big difference for so many of us. He was so dedicated and reliable. He was always on time, early! He was always prepared! He was so kind! He always had ideas to make things better!
He wanted to create his own Puppet shows and make people laugh. He did “Bad Driving Chicken” on Channel 10 – Public Access for years. He would laugh and laugh at the jokes he wrote. He made me laugh at him laughing at the jokes. He wanted to write a movie script last we spoke and shoot that movie. I was excited for him. He said, his work was more important than money.
He loved animals and would do anything for them. He had a cat he adored. She has a heart condition and he took great care of her. He talked to her and would pause editing to take care of her dinner and medicine promptly at 5 pm. He loved walking at Great Falls to enjoy nature. Nature was his camera to earth. Nature and animals or puppets made an ugly world beautiful for him. There are a lot of people that will never forget him and are hurting right now. We must watch his shows and laugh. He would want that! His adorable Puppets will not come to life without him. Watch, “Bad Driving Chicken.”
I cannot hear the word editor for a while. We will never be able to replace him. He was amazing. He had talent, skills, and made many dreams come true.
“Bad Driving Chicken” was his biggest love and lifeline.
He loved Teen Say too. He said, “We get to educate teens and not sell out.”
Tom loved giving teens and parents the facts to resolve confusion or find a new path during Teen Say. He did an excellent job on “High School Football, Why and How?” He really enjoyed meeting Ed Weiner and learning about Jazz for Justice and doing the “Attorney Journey.”
He had patience during covid. He did not want to stop doing the show. He inspired me to keep going. We interviewed Priests, Social Workers, and others over zoom. He made my dining room a studio of lights, Mics, and cameras. He was excited to set up for Stan Livingston’s Zoom and thrilled to edit the Childhood Star’s Interview. Of course, his favorite stories were about Stan’s dog. We did a second video for Stan Livingston, “Adopting Dogs for Unconditional Love.” He loved my 3 dogs and played with them every time he came here.
He loved taking a few steps towards tomorrow during our video for Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul, and Mary during the election. He was honestly so happy to be in it. 🙂 He was awesome! He loved the work we were doing! His work on my videos will remain on Youtube.
In the beginning of Covid, we drove around trying to find teens to interview and see what they were feeling. He was awesome! “Stop the Spread” was our kid video before the term populated. Check out our videos on Youtube.
We did interviews with Doctors to discuss the Cardiologist’s Journey and Chiropractor cracking teens for the first time and his journey for HOSA because kids could not go to school and hear doctors talk during Covid. He worked so hard! He was so happy to do videos to help HOSA.
He was so happy we did 3 shows for Poison Control. He wanted to help me make a difference for scared or confused teens that needed to call Poison Control and get Free, Confidential Advice.
Tom could not wait to be vaccinated so he could work with people again. He tried so hard to protect his Mom and Dad. We did lots of zooms and editing online. It kept us going. He loved his work.
Tom was really great at saving the day or making us feel better. He wanted to do his Puppet Show, “BAD DRIVING CHICKEN” and air it for the world to laugh. He loved his show and did it for Channel 10 – Public Access for years.
I wish I could turn back time and do more work with him. I will try and remember everything he taught me. I will forever remember him as the editor that really turned Teen Say around. He kept pushing me to try and get things going when no one wanted to do shows or be near people due to Covid. Tom loved working.
We did our Last Show at Frying Pan Park. I wish I knew. He made my Mother’s Day morning special. I love horses and was super excited when I got a last-minute invite to do a show there. Tom was thrilled and just as excited to do it. He beat me there like usual. 🙂 We did horse vaulting for the National Horse Vaulting Association. He was an awesome Camera Man and followed those riders and horses perfectly. He loved the animals and shot many videos of them at Frying Pan Park that day. He smiled so much and was truly happy there. He was so patient when we did several takes after not being out for a year. He understood when people were nervous and tried to put them at ease. We went out the next day to continue the interviews after 4 or 5 hours. I needed to go celebrate Mother’s Day with my kids and he was happy to go home and celebrate with his Mother.
Tom loved working with the Teen Say Family. He really was a diamond in my world – he made the show incredible. He was so excited and enthusiastic about every possible show. He inspired us when we thought shows were awful. He edited for hours and hours sometimes through the night to make a deadline for Public Access because it was important for him to air his show “BAD DRIVING CHICKEN” on time. He did not want to let fans or crew down. He did the same for Teen Say, it became his baby too. He was not just a Camera Man or Editor, he was an inspiration and motivated me to do better.
The first time I met Tom, he came to edit a JMU show I did. I was thrilled with the interview but the camera people did not get the shots I needed. I called Tom very upset. I knew he was a great editor. He came to my door and asked which way to the computers we would be editing from. He went straight to the edit suite and said, let’s get to work. Do you have the footage? I thought we would plan it or view it first but he came ready to work and make a difference. I thought, who is this? He is amazing! He is just going to get to it. He got right to it! He saved a great show still on Youtube with D1 Soccer – Adam Peron from JMU. “D1 Soccer Coach gives Parents and Kids the Facts.” He came up with a box that we used as a TV to highlight other things because the camera person focused on a Soccer Poster. He made us so happy and we actually created that kind of box on another show on purpose.
He loved our animal shows. We did a “Wildlife Resue show” still on Teen Say’s Youtube. We did, “Police and Firefighters rescue a Blue Herring.”
He loved walking at Great Falls to enjoy nature. There are a lot of people that will never forget him and are hurting right now. Perhaps they can go to Great Falls and take a breath – take a minute to see the waterfall and think of him. Walk every day and meditate to nature as he did. Take a breath before your big show – your daily life. We/I will never, ever forget you, Tom. I’m so sorry you got sick. We will miss you. Until we meet again….try and help God edit this world to peace.