A Life Well Lived

The sad, sad news that Tom Fleming passed away on Wednesday hit me hard.  Honestly, he communicated with me on Facebook just the day before, even liking a post I had put up.  We never met, but he was one of those heroes from my beginnings in T&F I wish I had. The remembrances all over the internet are some of the most touching I have come across.  He led a life all of us could emulate.

He was a constant figure in the running world, from leading marathons at Boston to coaching his teams in his beloved Northern Jersey, and even selling shoes at his very own running store.  He was a fixture at our very own Horace Ashenfelter's Thanksgiving Run, the Ashenfelter 8K.  He and Horace were good friends, which more than qualifies Tom to be a member of our group.

I imagine he is already coaching a group of angels in Heaven, where I am assured by a former Priest that there cannot possibly be any hills!  And the stories he is telling them when the workout is done are said to be some of the best there are.  RIP TOM.

Tom Fleming, left, at the finish of the Ashenfelter 8K.

Tom and Horace!