Thomas John Tabor

Thomas John Tabor was born in River Falls, Wisconsin on October 1, 1942, the second child to James Roy Tabor and Bette Tabor, a beautiful, healthy baby boy with the loveliest blue eyes. He grew up with his elder brother Jim and his little sister, Mary.

After graduating high school, Tom left home and hitchhiked to California, then to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Tom lived with his Uncle Bill and studied to become a Radiologic Technologist (X-Ray Technician). While in Salt Lake City, Tom met and eventually rented an apartment with his friend Dave Szopinsky.

It was while living with Dave that Tom met his wife and true love, Urline. Dave wrote the governor of Jamaica saying that he wanted a black girlfriend like the singer Lucille Uggams, and they sent Dave’s letter to the paper who placed his name and address in their Seeking PenPals column. Every day, Tom and Dave returned from work with a pile of mail from the many women who had seen Dave’s name in the newspaper. At the same time, Tom was lonely and wanted someone in his life. So, one day, he prayed and asked God to send him a wife. The next day, while looking through the mail, Tom read a letter from a woman that he was sure was “The One” -- Urline. Tom and Urline began corresponding. Several months later, Tom traveled to Jamaica to propose, and, after courting her extensively, Tom and Urline married in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1969. Tom was a patient, kind and loving husband and made sure Urline had lots of “hug-ups.” And, throughout his life, Tom always said that God sent Urline in answer to his prayers for a wife.

Tom and his wife moved to California, where Tom attended California State University Northridge and received his Bachelor’s degree in Management. They raised their family while he worked for University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Cedar Sinai Medical Center as an X-Ray technician until he retired for health reasons. Tom and Urline lived in Thousand Oaks, California, together for nearly 30 years and, in 2006, they joined the Thousand Oaks Seventh Day Adventist church.

In 2001, Tom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Though he was given only a few years to live, Tom overcame these odds and became a living testimony of God’s mercy and healing, regularly traveling to death’s door only to be brought back to life once more. His body eventually succumbed to the physical damage caused by the disease and, on October 27, 2014, God called him home.

But those are the facts and represent a small sliver of the man. A man of few words, Tom had an acerbic wit and a dry sense of humor. He did not tolerate fools gladly. He had a temper like a summer storm – fierce and terrible, but short-lived. But when his face lit up, he had a smile like a newborn baby, and you just had to smile back. He loved to laugh and enjoyed watching Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges and listening to old radio shows like Abbott & Costello and Fibber McGee & Molly. He could do great impressions of Curly and of Moe and was a member of the “Sons of the Desert,” a Laurel and Hardy fan club. He was a fan of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies, Red Skelton, and W.C. Fields. He was an avid reader with a passion for history. He appreciated a wide variety of music, from classical to old spirituals to country gospel, and could often be heard singing along with his favorite CDs in his rich baritone voice. He also enjoyed sports, especially watching his beloved Green Bay Packers. He listened to Rush Limbaugh in the mornings and went to Taco Bell every Sunday for his “usual.” He had a weakness for Coke and chocolate. He had a magic touch with dogs and cats that act like dogs, and they loved him. And he served God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, with all his heart.

A devoted husband and father, loving grandfather, committed family man, and loyal friend, Tom is survived by his wife of 46 years Urline, his children Shelley, Marc, and April, brother Pat, sister-in-law Carol, sons-in-law John and Ako, grandchildren Michaela, Liana, Isaac, and Pearl, as well as uncle Bill, nieces and nephews David, Sara, Katie, Bob, and dozens of extended family and friends. Tom will be missed by his family, his church family, his neighbors, and all those who know him.