09/06/2021
To Our Gazette Family,
It is with profound sorrow that we write about the passing of our friend and founder, Tom Reid. Tom was far more than a newspaper publisher. He was a devoted husband, a father, a friend and mentor.
In his absence, we are left irrevocably altered. Less than whole. There are some people who fill a space fit for 3 men. They are movers and doers. They are dreamers and visionaries. They are for whom the story is told. And when they are gone, you are left with a void it seems could never be filled.
And yet, in the wake of our grief, we are filled with gratitude. For the years we had him, for the inspiration he cultivated, and passion he drummed up even in our most challenging times. When given the choice, Tom made it his life’s work to highlight the positive, to showcase the best in each one of us. Every month for the past three decades, he compiled stories of his hometown heroes, creating an archive of our accomplishments, championing our efforts and leaving a tangible record of our lives. He gave people a voice and in the process connected our towns in a way it had never been before.
And when he fell ill, he made sure to safeguard those pieces in his beloved daughter Gala, who carries his legacy both in the pages of his paper and in her heart.
There will be more information forthcoming about how we plan to celebrate Tom, but for now we invite everyone to share their favorite moment, conversation, or story about Tom in the comments below. Maybe you saved an old copy of the Gazette, or held onto a St. Patrick's Day Parade route... we are surrounded by mementos of a life well lived.
