Thomas James Joseph Myers

Thomas James Joseph Myers, Age 81, Passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, February 4, 2021, at McKay Dee Hospital.  Tom was born-on Dec 29, 1939, to Francis Myers and Leona Leger in New Haven, CT Tom attended High School in New Haven and studied electronics in Hawaii.  Tom Married Jacqueline Irene Hanauer on May 15th, 1668 in Saigon, Vietnam. 

Our father was a simple man who enjoyed being with family and playing games.  He was one of the most playful people we have ever known.  Some of our earliest memories involve playing chess, cards, darts, bowling, and ping pong.  He was outstanding at all of them.  Even during long rides through Utah and Nevada he would come up with games or assign us certain trucks to spot (mine was Werner and I will never forget that).  He taught us all how to throw a ball.  When we would finish shoveling the snow, we would try to hit the mailbox across the street with snowballs.  At the basketball court, he would always try the trickiest hook shot; he even made it sometimes.  Anyone who actually beat him at ping-pong was promised $100; it took many people years to do it and some never did.  This was Dad when he had children and a family and a routine.  But before this, he traveled the world.  I have often thought of my father who grew up in Connecticut playing hockey and roaming the basement of the Peabody museum who grew up and left home to learn electronics and engineering only to voluntarily take a job that led him into a warzone.  He spent his 20s in Kwajalein, Guam, and Vietnam amongst other places in the pacific.  He caught Sharks and delivered their live young.  He jumped into the ocean once only to be met by a school of Barracuda…and escaped as fast as he could.  It was in VÅ©ng Tàu that he met our mother and the love of his life.  Once he knew her, he could never forget her.  They spent many years going to the beach and eating seafood and loving each other.  They started a family there.  He always came back and eventually our parents left Vietnam and the war and spent 53 years together; an amazing feat and a testament to how much they loved each other.  He was a man of such incredible adventurous spirit.  We loved listening to his stories even when we groaned that we’d heard them all before.  We would give anything to hear them again.  His playfulness and sense of humor was imbued in all of us.  His incredible work ethic and quiet morality was an example.  His love of his wife taught us what love and loyalty and working through the hard times looks like.  He was the single most patient and gentle man that I have ever known and though I know that I will someday see him again I will spend the rest of my days missing him and his smile and brilliant blue eyes.  We love you, dad.

Tom is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jacqueline (Hanauer) Myers, his brother William (Bill) Myers, daughter Maria Martinez (Gary), Son Eric (Mindy), Son Andre (Teresa), and Son Rene (Cami).  Tom has 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Tom is preceded in death by his parents; Francis and Leona Myers, and his brother Edward (Ed)

A Private Viewing will be held on Feb. 17, 2021, at Leavitt’s Mortuary on 836 36th St. at 12:30 pm.  Graveside Services will immediately follow at Washington Heights Cemetery at 2:00 pm.