Obituary for Thomas Coleman Reavey
On Monday, January 23, 2023, Thomas Coleman Reavey, beloved husband and father of four children, passed away at the age of 93. Tom was born on July 8, 1929, in Springfield, MA, to William and Agnes Reavey. William was a teacher, a cigar maker, and a steam engineer. Agnes was an public school teacher and, after earning her law degree, a Democratic nominee for Congress in 1936 and 1938. Tom was the youngest of seven children in a large Irish-American family.
One of Tom’s roles was to help entertain during his family’s many social events, learning how to tend bar at the early age of seven. He spent many happy days throughout his life at his family’s property, the “Farm,” in southern Vermont, swimming in the gorge or at the Silk’s pond, studying nature, chopping wood, or walking cross-lots on an adventure. After thirteen-year-old Tom was gifted a home chemistry kit, he created a chemistry lab in the attic of his family’s home on Central Street, knowing then that he wanted to be a chemist.
Tom received his BS in Chemistry, cum laude, from Saint Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont in 1951. He received a fellowship for the Doctoral program in Chemistry from Middlebury College in Vermont but left midway when he was drafted into the Korean War. After his Army service at Camp Leroy Johnson in New Orleans, Tom continued his Doctoral program at Purdue University in Ohio. However, once he had earned his Master’s Degree in Chemistry, he moved back to Massachusetts to work for Northeastern Radiological Laboratories in Winchester.
One of Tom's funny stories was that true to his nature as a scientist, he had a long list of attributes that he was looking for in a wife and Elaine Gobbi (Springfield, Mass.) met every single one of them. Of course, they really met, dated, and soon fell in love. They were married on April 20, 1963, and raised four children: Thomas, Ann, Peter, and Daniel. Tom and Elaine had been married for 46 years when Elaine died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.
Tom was a Charter Employee of the Environmental Protection Agency working in Winchester, MA (1970) then Montgomery, AL (1974) and at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC (1976). During his long career with the EPA, Tom focused on public health regulations addressing air quality, radiation emissions, and emergency response plans. He earned the EPA Bronze Medal for Commendable Service and retired in 1994 having spent 24 years with the agency. In January of 2002, the American Chemical Society Board of Directors recognized Tom for 50 years of service to the society.
Tom was a true frugal Yankee and would always choose to repair an item rather than replace it. He enjoyed working on cars and most other types of machinery. He seemed happiest when he was sitting on the terrace at the Farm with a martini in his hand, looking out over the apple trees and surrounded by family and friends.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine. He is survived by Thomas Reavey, Jr of Las Cruces, NM; Ann Reavey and Peter Gilbert of Richmond, VA; Peter and Jennifer Reavey of Cary, NC; and Daniel Reavey of Petersburg, VA. He is also survived by his five granddaughters: Celia Reavey of Raleigh, NC; Nora Reavey-Gilbert of Somerville, MA; Cleo Reavey of Richmond, VA; Claire Reavey of Charlotte, NC; and Rosie Reavey-Gilbert of Richmond, VA.
Tom was preceded in death by his siblings, Ruth Reavey, Claire McCormack, Miriam Reavey, Bill Reavey, Lambert Reavey, and Richard Reavey as well as Elaine’s siblings, Iness Parsons, Maria Cohen, Carmen Vangsness, Francesca Stone, and Louise Gobbi. Tom cherished and adored his many, many nieces and nephews and their families.
Relatives and friends may gather with his family at Browne Memorial Funeral Chapel in Enfield, CT, on Friday, February 3, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Longmeadow, MA, on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 10:00 am. Interment will follow in Longmeadow Cemetery.
One of Tom’s roles was to help entertain during his family’s many social events, learning how to tend bar at the early age of seven. He spent many happy days throughout his life at his family’s property, the “Farm,” in southern Vermont, swimming in the gorge or at the Silk’s pond, studying nature, chopping wood, or walking cross-lots on an adventure. After thirteen-year-old Tom was gifted a home chemistry kit, he created a chemistry lab in the attic of his family’s home on Central Street, knowing then that he wanted to be a chemist.
Tom received his BS in Chemistry, cum laude, from Saint Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont in 1951. He received a fellowship for the Doctoral program in Chemistry from Middlebury College in Vermont but left midway when he was drafted into the Korean War. After his Army service at Camp Leroy Johnson in New Orleans, Tom continued his Doctoral program at Purdue University in Ohio. However, once he had earned his Master’s Degree in Chemistry, he moved back to Massachusetts to work for Northeastern Radiological Laboratories in Winchester.
One of Tom's funny stories was that true to his nature as a scientist, he had a long list of attributes that he was looking for in a wife and Elaine Gobbi (Springfield, Mass.) met every single one of them. Of course, they really met, dated, and soon fell in love. They were married on April 20, 1963, and raised four children: Thomas, Ann, Peter, and Daniel. Tom and Elaine had been married for 46 years when Elaine died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.
Tom was a Charter Employee of the Environmental Protection Agency working in Winchester, MA (1970) then Montgomery, AL (1974) and at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC (1976). During his long career with the EPA, Tom focused on public health regulations addressing air quality, radiation emissions, and emergency response plans. He earned the EPA Bronze Medal for Commendable Service and retired in 1994 having spent 24 years with the agency. In January of 2002, the American Chemical Society Board of Directors recognized Tom for 50 years of service to the society.
Tom was a true frugal Yankee and would always choose to repair an item rather than replace it. He enjoyed working on cars and most other types of machinery. He seemed happiest when he was sitting on the terrace at the Farm with a martini in his hand, looking out over the apple trees and surrounded by family and friends.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine. He is survived by Thomas Reavey, Jr of Las Cruces, NM; Ann Reavey and Peter Gilbert of Richmond, VA; Peter and Jennifer Reavey of Cary, NC; and Daniel Reavey of Petersburg, VA. He is also survived by his five granddaughters: Celia Reavey of Raleigh, NC; Nora Reavey-Gilbert of Somerville, MA; Cleo Reavey of Richmond, VA; Claire Reavey of Charlotte, NC; and Rosie Reavey-Gilbert of Richmond, VA.
Tom was preceded in death by his siblings, Ruth Reavey, Claire McCormack, Miriam Reavey, Bill Reavey, Lambert Reavey, and Richard Reavey as well as Elaine’s siblings, Iness Parsons, Maria Cohen, Carmen Vangsness, Francesca Stone, and Louise Gobbi. Tom cherished and adored his many, many nieces and nephews and their families.
Relatives and friends may gather with his family at Browne Memorial Funeral Chapel in Enfield, CT, on Friday, February 3, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Longmeadow, MA, on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 10:00 am. Interment will follow in Longmeadow Cemetery.