Tom had bad hearing, probably resulting from a gas tank explosion he survived years ago (others would know better) so sometime communicating in person was a bit challenging.
He had a gentle sense of humor and seemed to know many in the hobby, enjoyed history.
What set him apart was his heart: he could communicate with pro racers at what seemed like their level, but had patience to try and answer knucklehead questions from neophytes. I have a few pictures of him explaining details to my kids when they were young folks 20 years ago, they liked to swarm him and they are auto enthusiasts. He patiently offered suggests.
