I too was one of Tom's close friends - as BK Lick posted earlier, there's a whole bunch of us from all over the country that don't necesarily know each other, so I thought I'd post this and open a dialog.

Tom was the best man at my wedding in '91. Probably one of the only times Tom wore a tux in his life. We'd known each other for a few years at that point - I tended bar at Orphans for the last few years they were open; Tom and I spent a lot of time together playing golf, bowling and just hanging out. We stayed real close until the present day. He was that one person that I could tell anything and everything to. He knew most of my deepest darkest secrets and I knew most of his. We just went bowling last month. He kicked my ass.

I somehow didn't hear about this happening to Tom until a week later. I spent a few hours with Roni at Tom's place earlier this week; she filled me in on what she could.

If some of the folks that were at the hospital with Tom on Saturday could write me and let me know what happened - not to be morbid - I just want to know what happened to my buddy. Roni told me she didn't get there until 6 that evening and told me that the reports after Tom got out of surgery were that he would fully recover. I can't connect the dots between that and the massive stroke that killed him.

If somebody could fill me in, I'd sure appreciate it. My email is jd909@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks.

JD Dragus