Thomas David Maland

Thomas Maland is survived by: his dog Cosmo, father Peter Maland, sisters Lorraine Nelson, Lisa Corbin, Nancy Lindgren, and brother John.

His friends and family fondly remember Tom’s signature look; concert t-shirt with blue jeans and tan snakeskin boots along with his straight jet-black hair that reached his shoulders.

Tom was born on May 23rd 1953. A few weeks later, loving parents, Peter and Sadie Maland adopted him through Catholic Social Services. He later became the oldest of four other adopted siblings.

Music always interested Tom. As a teenager he taught himself to play guitar in his room. He was described as a self-taught musician, listening to his favorite albums on repeat until he mastered the guitar riffs.

His collection of vinyl records is in the thousands. He enjoyed a wide variety of music from heavy metal to moody blues. He also attended hundreds of concerts. The most noteworthy being when he hitchhiked across the U.S. because he refused to miss Woodstock. Some of his favorite bands include the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers.

Tom was part of several bands himself; playing lead guitar for Rough Rider and Facsimile.

Tom’s favorite liquor was a rock-n-roll classic, Jack Daniels. He became more of a wine connoisseur when he worked part-time as Camelback Liquor while attending Arizona State University full-time to earn his masters in Humanities, which he paid for himself.

His father describes him as a “wonderful boy” who “didn’t give any trouble,” but his proudest moment was seeing Tom graduate with his masters in the Spring of 1998.

After receiving his masters, Tom taught across Arizona at schools within the Phoenix Union School District and later at Mesa Community College. To his students, Tom was known for bringing the dead language of Latin to life with relevancy and real-world applications. He was also well versed in the subjects of anthropology and American history. Tom’s favorite historical eras included ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, and the Civil War Era.

Tom’s quest for knowledge increased once he was a teacher. Every summer he would travel abroad to places like Egypt, Western and Eastern Europe.

His house is filled with relics, artifacts, books and pictures of the places he visited. Upon his return from the trips, he would bring his nieces and nephews gifts from abroad followed by a short lecture of the object or postcard’s historical significance. The man was practically a walking library full of information, factoids, and history.

Any day of the week, Tom could be found at his favorite restaurant- Black Angus where he would always order a steak, rare. The server would ask, “how do you want it cooked?” He would always respond “bloody” with a large grin on his face.

His nieces and nephews remember their Uncle Tom taking them to the theatre to see the newest blockbuster hit or the latest exhibit at the local museum. Uncle Tom was also known for being a prankster full of practical jokes and sarcasm. At heart, he truly was one of the kids.

A reception celebrating the life and memories of Tom will take place on his 62rd birthday May 23, with family, friends, music, food and drinks. The celebration will be held at his sister’s house in Glendale. Please contact jnelson71@cox.net for more details.

Tom - You will be missed and your memory cherished.

Love you Uncle Buck.