A Friend Remembers Tom Gerbasi

One of the things that hurts the most about Tom Gerbasi’s death is that it was so unexpected. Tom was 57 years old and physically active. There was no warning before the telephone call from his wife, Sonia, on Wednesday morning.

The details were grim. Tom had suffered a massive heart attack in the early hours of Sunday morning. Medical intervention couldn’t save him. The oxygen supply to his brain had been cut off for too long. Years earlier, in keeping with the generosity of his spirit, Tom had signed the paperwork to be an organ donor in the event that the unthinkable happened. He was kept alive on a ventilator until his organs were harvested.

Tom and Sonia were married for 31 years. They had a daughter and two grandchildren. I met his older grandchild when Tom was honored with the Nat Fleischer Award for Career Excellence in Boxing Journalism at the BWAA dinner earlier this year. The evening was young. Sheala, age four, was a bit intimidated by the swarm of humanity.

Tom introduced us. Hoping to break the ice, I told Sheala, “Your grandfather is so cool.”

Her face broke into a smile. So did Tom’s.

That night was the last time I saw him.

Tom was a kind, warm, loving person. One of those rare people who has a strong personality but everybody likes. He was a superb journalist who took pride in his craft. But that’s secondary to how I’ll remember him.

Tom’s death hurts. I want to reach out and hug him and say, “I’m so sorry.”

Note to readers: Information regarding Tom Gerbasi’s funeral service can be found at:

https://matthewfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/3382/Thomas-Gerbasi/service-information.html#tribute-start

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Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – The Most Honest Sport: Two More Years Inside Boxing – is available at https://www.amazon.com/Most-Honest-Sport-Inside-Boxing/dp/1955836329/ref=sr_1_1?

         In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

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