Name: Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary
Address: Santa Ana, CA

I just saw that a great friend passed this year. Tom and I grew up at First American HQ in Santa Ana. From 1976- 1986. We bothe started out as Title searchers. Eventually we became Title Officers. Tom and I were great buddies until work separated us. During our friendship we took some of the same trips to Madera. I went hunting for doves one time with Face (that was his nickname we had for Tom). He lent me an over under shotgun and we went out to the canals to find these elusive birds. We heard a rustling of the bushes and out flies several doves and I raised my shotgun and fired my two shots to no avail. That was a the one and only time I had attempted to anhilate another living creature. Tom just laughed at me, the city boy is wat he called me. 
Tom and I took many many trips to Lost wages (Las Vegas) where we had such great times. I remember the fond memories of the Men’s stag nights at HQ First American with great steaks and gambling tables. Tom always loved the games of chance. I remember Tom and Dianna when they started to date and ultimately married. Tom was a good soul and the times when I visited Orange County I would look up Tom at First American. It is a sad feeling to think of loosing Tom despite the few times in these last decades I did not speak with him. He was a great and loyal friend who always invited you along the adventures he dreamed up. I will miss you my friend. May God bless you and your family and the friends who loved you and called you family or friend. May you Rest In Peace Face.  You will always be remembered.

Mike Wekall

I met Tom TG in July 1976.
TG, Randy Hyepock and myself were the Night Searching crew at First American in the old 421 N. Main building.
For those of you in Title Insurance, that was the South East corner of 5th and Main in Santa Ana.
Our hours were 3:00pm  12:00am.
I remember after work at 12:00am we spent about 6 to 8 hours at Cesar's Hofbrau across the street.
North West corner for you still in Title Insurance.
Cesar's was a Deli and a Bar with a Pinball machine.
Cesar would play pinball with us until 1 or 2 in the morning, then give us the key to lock up when we went home.  We got pretty good at pinball.
 
TG and I became roommates in 1978  1980.
One year we went to 29 Palms for Thanksgiving and had fun with my family and friends.
Got up early, loaded everyone up in my Uncle's truck, front and back, and took off to Big Bear to play in the snow before turkey dinner.
Got home from Big Bear, cleaned up and said grace.
Must have been 25 people there that day for dinner but Mom made sure everyone had more than enough to eat.
TG must have eaten for 3 hours. Watching football and having fun playing Wahoo. It's a game like Aggravation.
He loved to play card games and so did my Mom, so we would play Hearts and a massive game of solitary until the sun came up.  Lots of fun!
 
One year I went with him to his parents' house in Madera for Thanksgiving.
We left at 3am from Orange County and slept all the way.
The sun was up as he drove to his Mom and Dad's along a side road with Almond orchards on both sides.
Tom stops the car tells me not to move. He got out of the car, opens the trunk and pulls out a shotgun.
Walked into the orchard, pops off 2 shots, comes back to the car and puts the shotgun in the trunk along with a Pheasant he just shot and off we go.
Getting close to his parents' house, he pulls over again and said he hears something. I heard nothing.
He opened the trunk and out flies the pheasant.
We got to his parents' house and there I met Simon, the biggest cat I've ever seen but a happy and friendly cat.
Simon was the King of the garage.
Thanksgiving dinner was great, even without the pheasant.
Mr. and Mrs. Gower had a beautiful home and made me feel very welcome.
Later that night around 10pm Tom wanted to go play cards.
Pulled up to some building that I thought was a Barber Shop but was a poker parlor.
Some very old friends of his gave us hugs and off he went with $20 of mine to play poker.
I fell asleep.  Around 4am, TG woke me up from the chair I was in and said he's done playing, let's go home.
He said he cleaned them out and handed me $60. He was good at poker!
After TG got some sleep that morning, we took off for a ride in the mountains.
TG parked the car, grabbed 2 towels he stole from Simon and we climbed through a barbwire fence and hiked down a canyon.
TG was stripping off his clothes as we reached the bottom of the canyon and asked if I've skinny dipped.
Heck yes, and being a hot day it sounded great, but I didn't see any water.
TG in his birthday suit, stood on top of this rock and jumped.
By the time I got to the rock he jumped from, he yelled "The water is cold, but feels good."
Me and my birthday suit eased into the water protecting the family jewels.
Yes, the water was cold but the rocks were warm and the sun was out.
We had fun.
 
A few years later, TG, Randy, Randy's dad Herman and I went Quail hunting down by the Salton Sea.
We all had 50 rounds of 12 gauge bird shot. We went to a farm and asked if we could hunt on his land. No problem.
We each took 25 rounds the first day and didn't hit a single bird.
100 rounds, you would think someone would have hit a few Quail.
We ate hamburgers that night at the campsite.
The next day, Herman opted out so TG, Randy and I went out to get our limit of Quail.
We decided to hunt along the farmer's water canal that he irrigated his fields from.
Randy went on one side of the canal where there was sage brush and natural desert.
TG and I were in the farmer's field below the water canal.
We could hear Randy blasting away on the other side but the brush and trees were so thick we couldn't see him.
On top of the canal were two dirt roads, one on each side. TG and I went up top to see Randy but nothing.
We looked down the dirt road we were on and on the other side was a huge covey of Quail.
TG and I decided to sneak up on them by going back down to the farmer's field and pop up and get our quota of Quail.
TG had a semi auto 12 gauge and I had a pump. We were loaded and ready to rock and roll on some quail.
We popped up exactly where we wanted to be. On 3 we fired emptying our shotguns.
The dust cleared and we saw nothing! No feathers NOTHING!!
I guess when we fired our first shots, the quail moved to the other side of the dirt road and waited it out.
When we quit firing, they moved back to the waters edge like it was just another day.
We were out of ammo.
We drove to town and ate a nice steak dinner that night.
We had fun.
 
TG, your service was a nice one and it was wonderful to see your family and friends.
The stories that were told about you explained a lot.
You were a well loved person and I will forever miss you.
Looking forward to seeing you and all that have passed.

Love You And Miss Your Face.
Eddie B
 
P.S. I wore one Christmas sock and one Argyle sock to your Service.

Tom, Old Friend-
This wasn't the way we were to reunite.  I was so sorry to hear the news of your passing from your sister Karen.  I came back to Atwater after college to teach Spanish and coach Football and Wrestling at the high school. I always thought of you and your family every time I drove by your house on First Street and of our friend Leonard Herr who lived on the street behind yours. We had some good times at Merced College. . .fishing, playing volleyball, pool, table tennis and other things I won't mention because you never know who might be reading this!!!  I hope you're in a better place than here.  Free of pain, playing volleyball and living the good after life. I know that one day we will see each other again.     
Your Friend,
Rick Garcia

Tom was amazing to work with - he was incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about his craft, such an wonderful person and great to work with. He will be sorely missed at First American.

I will miss the Good Morning plus the smile every morning.   There will never be a Teacher to give a Title Class at First American the way you did, with the knowledge and patience you had.  No one will ever replace you in the town hall meetings. We lost a great friend and mentor.   My prayers are with your family during this difficult time.  
 
Maria Santiago,  Santa Ana, California

I will miss the Good Morning plus the smile every morning.   There will never be a Teacher to give a Title Class at First American the way you did, with the knowledge and patience you had.  No one will ever replace you in the town hall meetings. We lost a great friend and mentor.   My prayers are with your family during this difficult time.  

Maria Santiago,  Santa Ana, California

Now I see the time we had before 
is just a passing moment that we can't share anymore. 
And I've learned that written words are not the same 
as when you take the time to say it 
and let the clouds release the rain. 
And I wish my dreams alone would bring back my old friends. 
Yesterday's just something I can't mend. 
And I broke down for my lost brother and I've died for mama, too.
Now my tears fall down for you. For you. 
And I say one thing each day before I lay me down. 
I thank god for your sweet smile although you're not around. 
And I can't overcome your memory in my mind. 
It's a bridge I'll never cross until the end of time. 
And I wish my dreams alone would bring back my old friend. 
But, yesterday's just something I can't mend. 
'Cause I've broke down for my lost father and I've cried for sister, too. 
Now my tears fall down for you. For you. You.

So sorry to learn of Tom's passing.  In high school, we could all count on Tom to lighten a mood with his smile and the twinkle in his eye.  Tom had many friends and I count myself as one of them.

I worked with Tom and Dianna many years ago at FA 5th and Main. Tom was a great man.  When I was at the Santa Ana campus always saw Tom taking his morning walks of the campus. With a great big smile and good morning. Will miss seeing him. My heart goes out to you Dianna and family. RIP Tom.

I'm so sorry to hear of his passing.  I worked with him for many years, at First American.  He was a great guy and always happy to share his wealth of knowledge.  My condolences to his family.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I use to work with Tom at First American he always had a smile on his face anytime I talked to him. So sorry for you families loss. He will be missed.

I'm so sorry to hear about Tom, I use  to have a lot of laughs with him at First American.  My prayers are with you Dianna and your family.  Love Teresa Monaghan

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Dianna, and your family.  May God bless. With deepest sympathy,

Im so sorry for your loss. Its horrible to think we are the age when we lose friends. I never intended to live this long. 

I am so sad to hear of Tom's passing.  I remember his big smile when he would come to talk to Diana while she was training me. Diana you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Dear Mr. Tom,
There are no words to describe how surreal it is that I will never see you again. Your warm "hello, friend", your brisk walk, the way you would dive into files with your glasses on the end of your nose so that you could look at me above them when I came to you with yet "another fine mess" I had gotten you into to, and the way that you would eagerly laugh at my tales of travel misfortune.  Indeed every time I experienced headache and heartache with my travels, it would be an encouragement knowing that at the very least I could regale you with my calamities.  You were by my side through many milestones, challenges, and celebrations in life and at work. I can not imagine possessing as many of the experiences that I do, perhaps being where I am today, without you teaching me, challenging me, and encouraging me. 
The last memory that I have of you is when you were holding my baby Katie. I didn't  take for granted how special that moment was, but I do I wish I would have told you that. 
You left a void, not only in our business, but in our work family and in each one of us. Thank you for being our rock and our dear friend. I wish I could see and hear your laugh again and I wish I could have one more moment of learning from you again. Thank you for who you are to me and to us. 
Love,
"T"

i remember Tom from high school.  His sense of humor and smile were contagious.  He was a great tennis player and i remember receiving one of his serves in the gut!  To his family, i send my condolences.  Rest In Peace Tom.

I am so saddened by Tom's passing. Even though I had not seen Tom in many years the thought that he was out there with that smile and twinkle in his eye brought a smile to my heart. My most heartfelt condolences to every one who loved him and called him family.

I'm so sorry to hear of Tom's passing. He was always so warm and friendly back in high school. I have such fond memories of Tom. His lime green VW van was an icon in Atwater. My thoughts and prayers are with his family ❤

Deepest sympathy goes to Diana and family. Retired now but worked for over 30 years + with Tom always so kind and helpful no matter the questions or how many times you needed his help he will be missed by all truly a lovely man RIP Tom

Anne and Geoff

Tom  may you rest in peace. I will keep your family in my prayers.

He was our walking encyclopedia  taught us all sooo much! A friend to everyone that crossed him and a treasured role model to many. Tom took everyone under his wings  that's why he now has real ones. My deepest and sincere condolences to the family, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

We will miss you Tom, and our thoughts are with your family who we have spent good times with throughout the years.

May all the wonderful memories of Tom's great life lift the hearts of all of who knew him.  Prayers of comfort to his family, friends and his work family at First American.

While working with Tom at FAMS, I learned more from him than just about anyone else.  But what I'll always remember most is his smile and warm personality.  I don't know that I can ever remember him having a bad day.  He was a caring friend, loving husband and father, and an all around great guy.  My prayers are with him and his family.  God bless you Tom-

Chris Cook

Tom was a tremendous asset at First American, and an absolute 'go to' person.
He was honest, genuine, and had a warm sense of humor. My condolences to his family and friends, on the passing of such a wonderful person.

Tom,
You are First American, such incredible asset to so many of us.  I love you with all my heart as so many of us did.  I look forward to fishing with you on God's Blue Ribbon waters.  Rest in peace my friend, you are missed.

This is truly one of the most difficult guest books I have written in.  Knowing Tom for almost 50 years; knowing that he was such a wonderful person...it is hard to let go.  We only saw each a few times in the years; but it was like no years had passed at all.  His laugh - his teasing.  My thoughts are with Karen, Karole, Mr. & Mrs. Gower this has to be such a difficult time for you.  And for Dianna...we haven't ever met; but Tom always spoke of you.  See you Tom...love you to bits...

5th & Main. 
Many, many years together full of
fun, good people and wonderful memories.  Your smile, your humor and your genuine kindness will be missed.  
Tom, If you find a FirstAm in Heaven, make sure you don't get locked in for the weekend....
Linda Evans

Thank you Sir for always being so kind and for being such a wonderful colleague. It is a rare combination to find an individual who had so much knowledge and yet was so humble and inviting. You will forever be missed. May you Rest in Peace.

My memories of working with Tom back in the day at Fatco are all fond memories, Dianna my prayers are with you. May God bless you and give you strength and courage. Love always

My heartfelt condolences goes out to the family.  Tom will always be in our hearts.

My Condolences to the family.  Tom was such a nice man and a wonderful colleague.  He was very funny and always very generous with his time and sharing his knowledge.

Tom will be truly missed, he was an icon in the title industry.  Many times I looked to Tom for answers when it came to title, he was the best of the best.  I will miss him, after 20 years of knowing him professionally we have lost a wonderful and kind person.  Rest in peace Tom.  Your friend, Dee

My sympathies to the Gower family.  I have worked with Tom for several years and I truly enjoyed our conversations and I depended on his knowledge and ability to always be available to me.  I will truly miss him as a co-worker and a wonderful person.  May he Rest In Peace.
Molly Yost.

I am not only lucky to have met Tom but honored. He treated me with tenderness and kindness. I will never forget how every time I reached out to him, he always told me, "That I was some kind of a royal in a another life because I did not like following Protocol" I will miss you deeply Tom...Gina Martinez

RIP Tom, a shock to me tonight...I have always respected you since high school.  Always smiling, caring for everyone, always for the underdog.  My heart is saddened by your loss this evening.  My heart goes out to your wife, parents, and your sisters.  See you on the other side my friend.  Karen Martin McMillan "74"

Tom ~  Remembering  you ~ a genuinely nice guy. Always giving, caring and sharing your contagious smile that would light up a room. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends.

A friend sent me a quote that I tweaked a little and seemed perfect. "How lucky I am to have known someone that makes saying goodbye so hard" My condolences to Dianna and his family.

Laurie  Wray - his work wife (with Dianna's approval)

Someone as special as Tom will never be forgotten. He will remain in our hearts forever. My deepest condolence to the family.

I always loved working with Tom, enjoying his humor, tapping into his title knowledge. We had a lot of fun. My thoughts and prayers go out to Dianna and his family, He will be missed.

It was a pleasure working with Tom.  He will be missed.

Tom was such a pleasure to work with.  He had a great sense of humor and always took the time to get to know you on a personal level.  He helped me learn so much and I appreciate that.  I am deeply saddened that he is no longer with us.  My heart goes out to his family and friends and we will all miss you at First American.

Tom.. You will always be in my heart.  Our times date back 40 plus years. A dear friend and a fantastic human.  With much love.

Diann I was so sad to hear about Tom and may his pain be gone I will always remember our days at FAT and the fun we had on ballfield and at he parties. RIP my friend

I learned so much from Tom over the years.  His knowledge was endless, his personality a rainbow of colors. He will be missed.  I take with me the knowledge that he was the candle that lit many other candles and his memory will always be cherished because of that.

Great Stories, Infectious Happiness and a Huge Heart! Tom's presence will be sorely missed, he was a ray of sunshine that lit up our whole office with his joy and pleasantness, a true gentleman. My condolences and best wishes to the family for their loss.

Condolence to the Family and may God give your family strength and comfort, knowing he is in a better place an looking down at you all always. He will be missed.  God Bless.

Tom, I will forever miss you making me laugh at work every day.  Your incredible knowledge was impressive, and your drive for ice cream was even more so.  My heart goes out to your family and all of us at First American.

Tom you will be dearly missed by all. I will be forever thankful to you for sharing your knowledge so generously.  My thoughts and prayers are with your friends and family, I hope they may find peace in the wonderful memories of you!

Was always a pleasure working with Tom in any capacity for the many years I have known him. His voice and personality will be sorely missed.

I am deeply saddened by the passing of our good title friend. My heartfelt sympathy to his loving wife Dianna and his family. He was taken too soon from us all.  I will miss him sneaking up on me in my cubicle (for a tall man he was quite ninja-like!) and saying "Hello, my friend."  Thank you for all your great service and contributions to this industry. Rest in Peace my friend.

I was blessed to work with Tom for the past 17 years. If Tom ever had a bad day I never knew it because he always brought a smile to work and treated everyone with great respect. I will miss you Tom. You and your family will be in my prayers,  Robert

Mr. Gower, you will truly be missed. I keep imagining you walking by my desk placing your hand on my shoulder and asking if I need any help. You were a great man and your legacy will live on. Hopefully you are fishing in heaven right now.

Tom, you had a plethora of title knowledge. I learned so much from you through the years as a mentor and colleague. On a personal note, it was awesome to find another golfer who hit right-handed, but putted left-handed. You will be in my thoughts and prayers Sir !!

Mr. Gower, I know you will be reading this in heaven, but I wanted to thank you for everything...Thank you for all my restaurant coupons. You never failed to bring it in for me because you know I don't cook. There are times that you left your laptop at home but never my coupons...you always have it in your hands for me. Thank you for being so thoughtful and kind. I miss you already! Rest in Peace Mr. Gower!

You will be sorely missed. Your family is in my thoughts.

I will forever remember Tom Gower's smile, friendliness, amiability, humor, and positive aura at our First American campus. His spirit will live long here, and we'll keep him alive in our stories. My condolences to his wife and family during this difficult time.

There was no one quite as kind and sweet as you, Tom.  We'll forever hear your laugh and how happy knowing what flavor of ice cream we all loved made you.  You have touched so many and will forever be part of our lives.

A friend sent a quote that I tweaked a little, it seems perfect for many. "How lucky I am to have known someone that makes saying goodbye so hard"

Laurie Wray (Tom's work wife, with Dianna's approval)

Tom, you are very loved and will be extremely missed, thank you for always being so cheerful!
My deepest condolences to the family.

I'm going to miss "Morning! Ladies", "Good Morning! Tammy" when he would come through.  I was the blessed one to have had a chance to have you as a co-worker and mentor. You will be missed very much!!!!

Tom you will be missed, you were that person that saw everyone and believe me that mattered so much. I will miss you.............

It was a pleasure to work with you. Such a wonderful and kind Man. You will be missed.

Mr. G, I will miss you so much.  I wanted to let you know that I learn so much from you and I thank you for sharing your knowledge to all of us... our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time.

Lots of people know a lot, but few who do know a lot, know how to best impart that knowledge while remaining kind.  Tom was always kind, even when dispensing corrections. I learned a lot from him, about the way people should be treated, and as such, his legacy extends far beyond his superior knowledge. His colleagues and friends will miss him greatly, and I consider myself fortunate to be able to call him both.

Such an honor to have met and worked with such a well respected and polite person. You will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!

Tom you were a great mentor and colleague. I will miss you. Thoughts and prayers to the family

Mr. Gower I will miss you very much. You were such a wonderful person and treated everyone the same no matter what position you held. Thank you for sharing all of your title knowledge with me and getting me to sign up for 401k when I first came to First American. Thank you for taking interest in my personal life and always asking how my daughter was doing. We are going to miss your colorful personality & shirts, rest in paradise Mr. Gower.

With a heavy heart, we grieve the loss of a great friend & mentor.  There are no words to describe this kind man, and no words to describe the sadness to see him go. 
It was a pleasure and honor to have known you my friend! You will be missed. May you rest in peace! 
Dianna, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Whether at work, on the golf course or sitting across Tom at a poker table Tom's joy for what he was doing at that time will be missed, my prayers and condolences to the family.

One of the nicest people I have ever worked with in my career.  You truly will be missed and never forgotten.  "A man who was a legend and made a true difference in the world"

From 3000 miles away I could tell you were a special man, with a kind soul and a big heart. I will miss exchanging ideas with you and I will pray that you are in a peaceful place.

You were a colleague, a great mentor and a devoted husband to Diana.  You were taken too soon, but our memories of you will never be forgotten. Thoughts and prayers to the all the family and friends.

Will sadly miss our enjoyable and entertaining work discussions. A better respected and trusted colleague,you will never find." -John Balberchak ( Tallahassee, FL )

Tom was such a great person, and always had a smile on his face.  He will be forever missed.

Rest in Peace, my Brother, my Best Friend.  I love you.

True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life for a while. Even after years apart, you pick up with them right where you left off, and even if they die they're never dead in your heart.

You were not only a colleague, but a friend. No way to express how much I will miss our daily consult sessions, discussions and bantering. You will be sorely missed by many, many people.

OBITUARY

George Thomas Gower

30 August, 1953 – 10 January, 2018

Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary

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