My Tommy was a little bit of a mother’s boy. One of the things I miss the most is his phone calls. He used to call me at least 3 times a day, just to check I was OK . He was always thinking of other people.
He had his own way of expressing himself, a dry sense of humour and also his own style. As a young adult, he’d wear a bandana and an earring in one ear, which deep down I did like but I never told him that - truth be told, it really did suit him. He was different and I loved that about him. One day, I remember we went to see my parents and Tommy was wearing a pair of jeans that were ripped at the knees. My mum told him to take his trousers off so that she could sew them back together and he said “Yiayia, I bought them like that, it’s the fashion!” That was Tommy all over.
As an adult, he was a very loving person, who mostly spoke softly and quietly. He had a cheeky smile and a memorable laugh.
Tommy was very close with his brother. He would always ask him to help with certain things, especially when looking for a new car, which in Tommy’s case was often!
Another memory of Tommy was his fear of spiders. One day he took my car and within a couple of minutes he was back, telling me he’d crashed it into a parked car down the road. He’d seen a spider on the windscreen and panicked. There are a lot of little incidents like that - too many to mention!
Despite suffering with Crohns from a very young age he never let it stop him enjoying life. He had missed so much school because of his illness I was so proud that he took it upon himself to get enrolled at College and achieve his diploma. Even when he was ill, he didn’t want to stop working because he didn’t want to let anyone down. That said, he often did things his own unique way.
When Tommy told me he had met somebody from Cardiff, he told me “mum, she looks like Kylie Minogue”. I liked Nina straight away and the got married in 2010. At the time he really wanted a dog so of course, the wedding invitations were of two bulldogs dressed up as a bride and groom. They were even on the wedding cake! Tommy and Nina’s wedding was never going to be like anyone else’s - they had their party on a boat along the River Thames, which Tommy would have described as ‘the nuts’! The only thing that could have made Tommy’s life any better was the day Nina gave birth to Rafael. Having Rafael was the best gift Tommy could have wished for and it made him the happiest man in the world. He’d waited a long time to have a child of his own and ever since Rafael was born, Tommy always had a smile on his face. He often said to me about Rafael, “mum, he’s the best”. Ever the unique person he was, he customised the last car he bought, (it was his fourth Audi TT) by adding his name to the driver’s door and Rafael’s on the passenger side. I know his only regret was that he couldn’t have more time with his son.
I was able to share one last holiday with Tommy, Nina and the kids in 2019. It was the first time I went with them as a family. Tommy enjoyed it so much and it was nice to see everyone playing in the swimming pool, especially Rafael. Tommy left behind a beautiful family. He brought so much happiness into our lives. I love you so much and I miss you more each day. I know we will be together again one day. Rest in peace. Love mum xxx
My Tommy was a little bit of a mother’s boy. One of the things I miss the most is his phone calls. He used to call me at least 3 times a day, just to check I was OK . He was always thinking of other people.
He had his own way of expressing himself, a dry sense of humour and also his own style. As a young adult, he’d wear a bandana and an earring in one ear, which deep down I did like but I never told him that - truth be told, it really did suit him. He was different and I loved that about him. One day, I remember we went to see my parents and Tommy was wearing a pair of jeans that were ripped at the knees. My mum told him to take his trousers off so that she could sew them back together and he said “Yiayia, I bought them like that, it’s the fashion!” That was Tommy all over.
As an adult, he was a very loving person, who mostly spoke softly and quietly. He had a cheeky smile and a memorable laugh.
Tommy was very close with his brother. He would always ask him to help with certain things, especially when looking for a new car, which in Tommy’s case was often!
Another memory of Tommy was his fear of spiders. One day he took my car and within a couple of minutes he was back, telling me he’d crashed it into a parked car down the road. He’d seen a spider on the windscreen and panicked. There are a lot of little incidents like that - too many to mention!
Despite suffering with Crohns from a very young age he never let it stop him enjoying life. He had missed so much school because of his illness I was so proud that he took it upon himself to get enrolled at College and achieve his diploma. Even when he was ill, he didn’t want to stop working because he didn’t want to let anyone down. That said, he often did things his own unique way.
When Tommy told me he had met somebody from Cardiff, he told me “mum, she looks like Kylie Minogue”. I liked Nina straight away and the got married in 2010. At the time he really wanted a dog so of course, the wedding invitations were of two bulldogs dressed up as a bride and groom. They were even on the wedding cake! Tommy and Nina’s wedding was never going to be like anyone else’s - they had their party on a boat along the River Thames, which Tommy would have described as ‘the nuts’! The only thing that could have made Tommy’s life any better was the day Nina gave birth to Rafael. Having Rafael was the best gift Tommy could have wished for and it made him the happiest man in the world. He’d waited a long time to have a child of his own and ever since Rafael was born, Tommy always had a smile on his face. He often said to me about Rafael, “mum, he’s the best”. Ever the unique person he was, he customised the last car he bought, (it was his fourth Audi TT) by adding his name to the driver’s door and Rafael’s on the passenger side. I know his only regret was that he couldn’t have more time with his son.
I was able to share one last holiday with Tommy, Nina and the kids in 2019. It was the first time I went with them as a family. Tommy enjoyed it so much and it was nice to see everyone playing in the swimming pool, especially Rafael. Tommy left behind a beautiful family. He brought so much happiness into our lives. I love you so much and I miss you more each day. I know we will be together again one day. Rest in peace. Love mum xxx