Thomas Anthony Bahorski

Most people knew him as Tom, but his family called him Tim from a young age; as a young adult, he was known as Baja to which his wife’s family will always know him; and to his children, he was daddy. Tom was born in Detroit, MI on December 17, 1946. As a child he enjoyed many sports such as ice skating, hockey, and baseball. His family spent summers by the lake where he enjoyed boating with his father. At the age of 13, his family moved to south Florida where his love for the water and boats grew. He graduated from Broward County High School in 1964 then enlisted in the Navy. He was an E4 Commissary seaman working primarily as a chef. After his time in the Navy, he moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University (FSU) graduating with a Bachelor in Science, Business Administration in 1971 with expertise in Hotel and Restaurant Management. In Tom’s early career, he taught cooking and baking at Lively Technical College and a jobs training program at FAMU. Then he worked as a program manager for the Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security until retiring in 2004. This job included a position with the federal government in 2001 in Washington DC. He really enjoyed exploring the DC area and was sent home at the end of August just before 9/11.

On June 10, 1973 he married Carol Rivers. They built a house soon after where he lived the remainder of this life. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2023 surrounded by many family and friends. Together, they attended Crossway Baptist Church. He and Carol also spent a lot of time traveling, especially to the Great Smoky Mountains and areas around Asheville, NC.

After retirement is when Tom really enjoyed his life and served the community in many ways. He worked as a Standardized Patient for the FSU, College of Medicine, Clinical Learning Center (CLC); he often joked about going to medical school but really enjoyed helping the next generation of clinicians. Tom became certified as a tennis official and refereed for youth tournaments and college matches primarily for FSU, FAMU, and Valdosta State University. He was active with the Tallahassee Tennis Association for many years, serving as the treasurer. He enjoyed working with members of the tennis community and City of Tallahassee to provide many improvements to the city tennis courts at Tom Brown and Forest Meadows. He could be described as quirky, grumpy, and was definitely an introvert but was always kind and caring, interested in learning more about everyone including their background and interests.

Tom had many interests including golfing, boating, sailing, fishing, music, cooking, building things, and managing money. His diverse interests are evident when looking at his music playlist which includes everything from classical, jazz, and blues to the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and most recently he added some Taylor Swift! In the last year, he decided to learn to play the ukulele taking lessons online and from Pastor Stan. He played tennis and captained adult teams; competing at the USTA National Championship tournaments with both mixed and men’s teams several times. Tom enjoyed playing on the State of Florida softball leagues while still working. He was a golfer his entire life, most recently every Monday morning when he would “go to work” to possibly make $2, or lose it! He always enjoyed being out in a boat or on the water – fishing or diving for scallops. Tom could handle a boat with ease and tie a true seaman’s knot. There was nothing he couldn’t fix. If he didn’t know how to fix it, he would spend hours learning how the motor or part worked to figure out what the problem was and how to fix it. Outboard boat motors were his “specialty,” often working with friends or family to get a motor going again. Tom was an excellent chef, making food for his family. When once asked if there was any food he didn’t like, he said “no, as long as it is prepared properly.” Tom’s favorite indulgence, beer, brown ale specifically, and enjoyed sampling ones from local breweries when traveling.

Tom was a Nole fan for life and support the university in many ways including donations to music, art, business, medicine, and nursing. He had a season ticket for women’s basketball and season baseball tickets. He also enjoyed following soccer, softball, and both men’s and women’s tennis. He celebrated football National Championships and attended games through the Bowden era. Tom would also attend music events held in Ruby Diamond auditorium frequently.

He was preceded in death by his parents Chester and Helen (Szmigiel) Bahorski and sister Angela Wright. He is survived by his wife Carol and children Jessica and Zachary, all of Tallahassee. He also leaves behind a large community of family and friends. Tom/Tim/Baja will be missed dearly by so many.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following organizations. Tom would be proud to know you’re supporting the Tallahassee community in his name.

• FAMU tennis (https://my.famu.edu/donation/rattlerathletics)

• Tallahassee Tennis Association (TTATennis.org)

• Any FSU women's sport (especially basketball, soccer, softball, tennis especially) (FSU Athletics) https:/www.givecampus.com/campaigns/29380/donations/new?amt=70.00&fbclid=IwY2xjawEQezBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbpzDoUm7wTh23b6H0fsKyyZiJ9lTTOQsV9_q8Y-KUMoTxNcDYVY1XPlog_aem_hdNjzhYr4LC-wZGWuaWgUg__;!!M2D_dUfSiN4E!M0ajGdBPNU8Q4JgpPHuK68ZtzNI9-o3ghocwyN61N0ddEIfNDyTWMaTqvTrV3J_ZY8VQAfAdBKKCTLYMxFZ_Q9Z0coiMl_EssQ$

• WFSU radio or TV (https://wfsu.org/support/major-giving)

• FSU College of Medicine Clinical Learning Center (FSU Giving) - https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/give.fsu.edu/Donate/WizardCheckout/b90183c2-471a-4e8e-362b-08d95cff3b29?fbclid=IwY2xjawEQe0ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbJKfDduyKLLZYKNc6b0A6NBp3f9bTcTGvb-K2eGwtJHaaZWo1LAEUF9uA_aem_AwmH_JTM5siNFvcveRYX0w__;!!M2D_dUfSiN4E!M0ajGdBPNU8Q4JgpPHuK68ZtzNI9-o3ghocwyN61N0ddEIfNDyTWMaTqvTrV3J_ZY8VQAfAdBKKCTLYMxFZ_Q9Z0cohA7bPxqA$

• Big Bend Hospice (https://bigbendhospice.charityproud.org/Donate)

A visitation for Thomas will be held Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 11:30 AM at Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, 1737 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32308. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 12:30 PM, 1737 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32308. A burial with military honors will occur Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Tallahassee National Cemetery, 5015 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida 32311.