Published on September 28, 2020 edition.
Thomas E. Humphreys, Sr., 85, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, surrounded by family at his home in Wakefield.
Tom, the youngest child of Carl F. and Mary G. “Mae” Humphreys, was born in Somerville on May 4, 1935. Tom fiercely loved living in Wakefield. He was a graduate of St. Joseph School, and he spent time at both St. Mary of Lynn and Wakefield High School, where he graduated in 1954. After a year at Bridgton Academy, Tom served in the US Army. Thanks in part to a financial gift earned by helping to rescue a local teen who had fallen through the ice, Tom ended up at Merrimack College, where he played hockey and met the love of his life, Judy (Patten). During their 56 years of marriage, Tom and Judy settled down in view of his beloved Lake Quannapowitt and raised three children: Susan, Tom Jr. and Michelle. Never one to sit still, Tom filled his life with work and play. He was a teacher at Melrose High School, where he made many lifelong friends and touched the lives of countless students, evidenced by his being honored as a “Christa’s Teacher” in honor of Christa McAuliffe. Tom also was a bartender at the former New England Oyster House in Saugus, where he met and charmed many of the biggest names in Boston sports. Around Melrose, Tom was known as a beloved teacher, but in Wakefield, he was known as simply “Coach.” Even though he helped to establish the first soccer team at Melrose High School, had a stint or two coaching football, and led the Hub Ticket junior high softball team to several undefeated seasons, Tom will forever be remembered as a hockey coach. His high school hockey teams thrived under his old-school coaching style and enjoyed great success, earning enshrinement in the Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The time constraints of fatherhood pulled him out of the high school ranks, but the lure of coaching never left, and he became heavily involved with youth hockey, leading Tom Jr. and his friends against powerhouses such as Oyster Bay.
As his children aged, Tom began devoting more time to his golf game. He loved spending time with the Senior Hackers, a group of retirees who anointed him “Commissioner.” Tom was also devoted to his faith. He was a daily communicant, Eucharistic Minister, and collections counter at St. Joseph Church. From a young age, Tom was taught the importance of being a loving, supportive family man, and he took that to heart. He was at every single sporting, drama or musical event that the kids participated in, and he made sure to host huge Fourth of July, Super Bowl and Thanksgiving pregame parties for many years. Instead of resting during retirement, Tom invited Sue and her three young children to live with him, and “Papa” became a constant at practices, games and performances once again. He was blessed to travel the country with his daughter Michelle and her family, and he loved traveling to rinks to watch Tom Jr. follow in his coaching footsteps.
It was difficult to go anywhere without running into someone whose life Tom had touched, and he always would greet them with a firm handshake and a sincere “God Bless.”
Tom was predeceased by his parents; his brother, Carl “Buddy”; his sisters, Barbara Newell and Marylou Hoag; and his “angels”: children Marybeth and Joseph, and granddaughter Abby. He is survived by and will be greatly missed by his wife, Judy; his daughter Susan Langlois and her children, Raina, Braedan, and Derryn, who have lived with him for 19 years; his son, Tom Jr., wife Lisa (Kaugher) and their children, Lucy and Tommy of West Simsbury, Conn.; and Michelle Bowen, her husband Ross, and their children, Cooper, Peter and Tyce of Los Gatos, Calif.; as well as many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 4-7 p.m. COVID-19 guidelines will be followed. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick Church, 71 Central Street, Stoneham on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. Interment will be at Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601 www.alz.org.
