What initially began as another merit badge on his path to becoming an Eagle Scout turned into a lifelong passion. By the time Tom discovered photography, he was already an accomplished athlete. He was a natural at nearly any sport that took his fancy. He was not your typical jock, though. He was an introvert in every sense of the word and I was surprised to learn, quite the romantic. His mysterious nature was only enhanced by his introduction to photography and countless hours spent in his darkroom. It's no wonder that Tom was such a hit with the girls when he was a teenager.

By the time Tom was in his mid 20's, he was married and wanted to start a family. His decision to pivot career paths to computer science at this time was a naturally understandable one. Over time, photography took a backseat to being a wonderful and caring father to his two daughters. It's because of this that I had little knowledge of the extent of Tom's incredible talent by the time I was born years later. While I'm sad I didn't get to see these amazing photos when he was still around, I'm determined to get his work out there in the way I'm sure he would have if he'd made a life in photography.

Ever since Tom's death last year, I've been slowly restoring and in some cases creatively editing Tom's photography. Most of these photos were never seen outside of the family, some of us never saw them at all until the funeral.

I spend an inordinate amount of time consuming photography, whether it be my own or others. I love Tom's work, and would love it even if he weren't my uncle. It's undeniable that he had a real eye and a true talent in photography. I'm so proud of him, even now that he's gone. I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to see and work with his photography. I'm beyond in debt to him and and his influence on our very creative family. We can all say that our lives would have been very different if it wasn't for Tom.