Thomas Edward Geraghty Jr.

Thomas Edward Geraghty Sr. was born in Warren, Ohio, on March 3, 1943. He passed away on July 3, 2018 in his treasured home in Astoria, surrounded by his beloved family.

Tom was born in Trumbull Memorial Hospital to Susan and Thomas Edward Geraghty. He spoke fondly and often of the first chapter of his life there. As an only child, he appreciated greatly the kindnesses shown to him by his cousins, aunts and uncles. He graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in 1961 and attended Kent State University.

As a young man, Tom set a precedent for his life to come by working from the age of 14, while simultaneously pursuing the many endeavors which reflected his natural curiosity about the greater world around him. Whether working in a blast furnace, playing piano in a jazz band, taking flying lessons or just watching the fireflies on an Ohio summer evening, Tom’s life was guided by his understanding of the value of hard work, but also in his belief that the people and experiences of a person’s life were what mattered most.

In the late 1960s, after the birth of his much-loved first daughter, Tom made his way from Ohio and traveled across the country to find his home as an adult on the West Coast. He lived briefly in Los Angeles before moving to Arch Cape, Oregon, with his first wife, Patricia, where they started their family in a small cabin by the ocean. Tom’s family grew and eventually settled in Knappa, Oregon, where he enjoyed coaching baseball and fishing often.

Tom spent the following years continuing to dedicate himself to his learning, in particular, his understanding of his life’s work in carpentry. He met his second wife, Deborah, in 1993 and lived with her in Astoria until his passing. They shared an appreciation for spending time in nature, learning Spanish and, most of all, spending time with their children.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents. He leaves his sons, Leaf and Thomas, of Astoria and Portland, Oregon; and daughters, Ilona, Rosemary and Christina Guthrow of Bend and Astoria, Oregon, and Richmond, Virginia. Tom was a thoughtful stepfather to Ben Hamlin, Sabrina Pearson and Sonja Kallam of Bay City and Portland, Oregon, and Federal Way, Washington. He especially loved his grandchildren Grace, Maryann, Perry, Linda, Olivia, Krystal, Mariah, Emily, Beth, Nick and Lukas.