Thomas R. Harwood

Thomas R. Harwood, 59 years young, passed away on Thursday October 5, 2017 in the ICU at New Britain General after a short but, hard-fought battle with cancer. He was the beloved husband of Elizabeth (Zeldon) Harwood for 38 years. Tom was born in 1958, the oldest son to Janet (Ohliger) and the late Richard Harwood. He lived his entire life in Southington.

In his youth, Tom took accordion lessons from the Betterini Studios where, he met his future wife Liz. Tom used to say that Liz was, “The only good thing that came out of those lessons”. Tom graduated from Goodwin Tech High School, Food Trades, in 1976. His first job during high school was in the kitchen at Bradley Memorial Hospital. He later went to work at Solomon Casket Company on Old Turnpike Road, a job he held for over 30 years. For the past 8 years, Tom worked at The Hospital of Central Connecticut Bradley Memorial campus in the Supply Chain department. His cheerfulness and quiet demeanor brought him many friends in all areas. He especially enjoyed wearing holiday hats to brighten the day of staff and patients alike who might happen upon him in the hallways. Christmas morning would find him dressed up as an elf to help deliver patient breakfasts. Tom was active with the Southington Community Theatre, 1st Maryland Co. H CSA civil war reenactors, and Boy Scout Troop 17 Southington. He enjoyed cooking, watching all types of food programs, working on cars (especially his 1948 Dodge truck), collecting model trains, camping, and traveling. He nurtured a sense of humor and tranquility through his life; with funny childhood moments, teaching skills and techniques wherever he was and the occasional “Don’t tell mom” activities. He could talk at length about the antics of his cats, Tiger and Mooch (and all the cats that came before them into our hearts and home). But by far, his greatest pride was in his two boys, and his greatest love was for his grandkids, whose latest pictures were always on his cellphone.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Liz; his sons and their wives, Brian and Maureen of Tucson, and Kevin and Holly of Plantsville; his grandkids, Sawyer, Evelyn and Colette of Tucson, and Emmett of Plantsville. Along with his mother Jan, he is also survived by brothers Keith and Ken Harwood of Southington, Todd Harwood, his wife Tammy and daughter Brianna in Meriden; and his uncle and aunt, Don Ohliger and Caroline Bailey of New Hampshire. In keeping with Tom’s personality, the family would like to simply celebrate his life at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on Sunday October 15, 2017. Please stop in between 1pm and 4pm, have a bite to eat, share a memory, a laugh, and a tear or two.

Memorial donations can be made to Southington Community Theatre, P.O. Box 411 Southington, CT 06489 or to BSA Troop 17, c/o First Baptist Church, 581 Meriden Avenue, Southington, CT 06489

“Take it easy” Tom would always say, not “Goodbye”.