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Thomas
Reardon
1947-2009
It is both with shock and sadness
that we mourn the sudden passing of Tri County
Past President Thomas Reardon, who passed away
on October 21st, 2009.
Tom was the first president of the newly formed
“TriCounty Independent insurance Agents
Association” (formerly IIAA Nassau and
IIA Queens/Kings). He worked at the Thomas J.
Reardon Agency, the agency started by his father
in the early 1950s.
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He
eventually headed the company, which became Reardon Raplee
Lindner & Mehlman Inc. with Reardon as a partner. In addition
to being the first president, Tom chaired many committees,
most notably, the Education and Legislation committees. He
received numerous awards in his long and illustrious insurance
career, most notably the Bob Morris Award back in 2006 for
his unselfish dedication to our industry. But most importantly,
Tom dedicated his life to his family and his community, Oyster
Bay, NY. You see, giving back was Tom’s motto. It’s
something he passed on to his children as well. And he always
backed up his words with his deeds.
Tom was a founder of the Oyster Bay Oyster Festival 26 years
ago and served as chairman of the event for many years. He
also held numerous other leadership positions in nonprofit
organizations.
"He was a dedicated community servant," said his
son Andrew, of Bayville. Said Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John
Venditto: "His life was interwoven in the fabric of Oyster
Bay hamlet."
Tom was helping out at this year's Oyster Festival on Sunday
when he felt ill and was taken to Glen Cove Hospital, where
it was learned that he had an acute aortic dissection and
needed immediate surgery, Andrew Reardon said. He was transferred
to North Shore University Hospital, where he had the surgery,
but his condition worsened and he died October 21st.
Reardon lived in Oyster Bay his entire life except for when
he attended Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, R.I.,
and University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.
A longtime volunteer firefighter, Reardon was twice elected
chief of the Oyster Bay Fire Company 1 and headed it during
the response to the 1990 Avianca jet crash in Cove Neck. IIABNY
presented Tom with its Community Service Award for his dedication
and leadership, especially during that tragic event.
He was board president of the Youth and Family Counseling
Agency of Oyster Bay and past board president of the Doubleday
Babcock Senior Citizens Center. He was past president of the
Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club of Oyster
Bay, Oyster Bay-East Norwich Soccer Club and Oyster Bay Rotary
Club. He was past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus.
He was best known for the Oyster Festival. "In 26 years,
he never missed one festival," Andrew said. When the
Chamber of Commerce decided to end the festival in 1991 because
of rowdiness, Reardon got the Rotary Club to take over.
In addition to Andrew, Reardon is survived by his wife of
37 years, Mary Ann ; his son Thomas, of Seoul, South Korea;
a daughter, Emily Ann, of Oyster Bay; four sisters, Catherine
V. Reardon, of Oyster Bay; Joan Kirkpatrick, of Lincoln, Maine;
Mary Meyers, of Locust Valley; and Alice Casey, of Lawrence,
Mass.; and two grandchildren, Ella and Owen. |
