Thomas Allen Caldwell died on August 11, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. He was a father, role model, war veteran and a husband. He loved his family more than I could ever express but he wasn’t very good at expressing it. He wanted be like the average father but was normally bed ridden because of his back pains and other sicknesses. He would always try to make me happy by going to my sporting events and play catch with me. Even though he wasn’t like the average father I wouldn’t trade him for any other father in this world because with all his faults I loved him and he loved me and I can’t even express how much I miss him and even though he’s in a better place now I wish I could talk to him or hear his voice one more time. I hope he can hear me because I wanted to say that, “I love you dad”.

Tom was the oldest brother in a large family. As such, he left a large footprint on all his siblings. He was a talented drummer, a very funny guy, and one of the smartest people I knew. He loved to laugh, and some of my fondest memories I have involved us horse laughing so much we would be sore for days. His service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War had a devastating impact on him. This cheerful, funny guy returned as a cynical, disillusioned, and sometimes hostile man. He found love twice in his life, both times resulting in children that carry his traits to this day. One of these children is with us today. Patrick is one example of what Toms’ legacy was - smart, literate, and caring. I know that Tom loved both of his families and was proud of both of his kids. They live on, and he lives on in them and us, those gathered here - his loved ones.