Thomas Patrick Quinlan

Obituary Known for his oft shared yarns and Irish tenor vocals, Tom made his final, unexpected journey Friday. A quick-witted prankster famous for pulling countless practical jokes, Tom was a tall, strong man who possessed a larger than life personality. Tom was a wonderful husband, proud father, and doting grandfather. Tom passed away suddenly at the age of 70, surrounded by the love of his life of 48 years, Mary Kay, and their children, Tommy, Mary, Kathleen and Sean, and daughter-in-law, Lilly. Tom is also survived by his son-in-law, Larry Shoemaker; his seven grand children: Dylan, Danny, and Brenna Quinlan; Brendan and Brian Hines; and, Lauren and Logan Shoemaker; his siblings Nodie, Teresa (Paddy), Hannah (John), Elsie (Tim), and Seamus; and, dozens of nephews and nieces. Brothers Willy, Tim, and Jerry preceded Tom into Heaven. Born and raised in County Tipperary, Ireland, to a family of nine children, Tom immigrated to the United States in 1956 at the age of nineteen, becoming a naturalized citizen. Originally intending to make his sojourn to America a brief stay with his aunt and her family in Seattle, his plans were dramatically changed after crashing a neighborhood party with his Irish cohorts - where he managed to finagle an introduction to the then sixteen year old, Mary Kay. For Tom, any aspiration of being the Irish Rover was all over after that. They married two years later. Mary Kay and he settled in Tacoma, being parish members of St. Charles Borromeo since 1966. Tom lived the true American dream with appreciation and zeal. Off the boat in New York with literally $26 in his pocket and a plane ticket west, he worked his way from being a back aching laborer to a rewarding career in construction eventually rising to superintendent of major public works projects, and later to owning his own business. He finished his career when retiring as a public works inspector for the City of Gig Harbor. Tom dedicated his life to his family. He provided his wife and children a standard of living that a young boy playing in the fields of Ireland could only dream. He instilled in his children the importance of a good education and being civic-minded; his children all having post-graduate degrees. Not idle in retirement, Tom fulfilled a dream when he ventured into the world of thoroughbred racehorseing in partnership with family members. The jockeys and trainers at Emerald Downs will miss Tom's shock of white hair and beaming grin in the paddock. He thrived on caring for his horses. The Sunday races became a gathering place for family and friends. Rosary will be prayed for Tom on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at Gaffney Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 11:00 a.m at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church followed by grave side services at Calvary Cemetery. As Tom's father often said, "Until we meet again, some sunny day."