Home | About Tim | Candle Lighting |Golf Tournament | Memorial Fund |Memorial Scholarship

Share a fond memory, funny story or anecdote about Tim.

E-Mail Sharon

Too many memories to include here, but one of my earliest memories of Tim was on one of our first dates. We went to dinner and were driving home on the highway. I was really worried because the gas gauge was below empty and I kept insisting we stop for gas, I was worried we'd run out and be stranded on the dark, deserted highway. As we were driving 65 miles an hour, Tim shut the headlights off in the car. My anxiety went through the roof because we could see nothing but blackness all around - I shrieked at him to put the lights back on. He smiled and said, "Bet you forgot about the gas, huh? See... worries in life are all relative..."

I never imagined being married to an incredible soul like Tim. I miss goofing around with you, the Red Sox parties, the nuster busters, the triple FS's, throwing the football, hitting the wiffle ball, your almond eyes, cheering when I got home from work, the 5 course meals (especially the ribs on the grill!), our teamwork, me beating you in wrestling, and the contentment in just knowing that I am loved and adored. Thank you for making me the center of your universe and for making me a better person. We are together in spirit for eternity. Missing you like crazy....
--Sharon, Tim's wife

What more could a mother ask for than to see her child grow up and mature into a sensitive, caring young man with a fantastic sense of humor! I think one of the most satisfying feelings I had as a parent was to see the joy on Tim’s face the day he got married! It was an emotional and fun filled day that none of us present will forget!

Tim, you will be dancing with me in my heart forever!

Love you always!
-- Mom

One of my favorite Tim memories was election night 2000 when we were calling each other back and forth wondering what was happening to our predicted Bush landslide. Tim's quote of that night was "I'm not going to bed 'till I know who won the election!"
--Jason, Tim's brother-in-law

I was thinking of all the memories of Tim..the ruined appilances (iron..crock pot, teakettle); the ripped t-shirt he wore when we were looking at wedding halls..the boat stories..at Lake Francis when he forgot the anchor..bungie cords, tarps, and fishing. Hitting the rock the first time out with the boat..the camp fire when he melted his boots..chasing the moose with the truck. The food he cooked... the cheese croissant sandwiches, swimming in the river after putting up the tarps..there are a million stories. My fishing buddy - long island bridge campground under the bridge fishing after dark...buying night crawlers and "blood bait". 58 mph on lake winnipesaukee the first time out with the boat ...we were moving! Getting "pooned" for gas at the lake side gas, rubbing meat with Jason, tubing behind the boat...cookouts, whiffle ball, getting everyone to join. The bird condo in Worcester, grabbing dad's butt at his graduation...the annual dinner out because he lost the football bet!

Having the best time at your wedding, having fun that year before planning, meeting everyone...what fun we had! Especially the way he looked at Sharon and said how cute you are and always asked, "how do you breath through that little nose?"...
--Mom O., Tim's mother-in-law

I was recalling the time Tim went camping with the scouts. When he returned home I couldn't believe what I saw! Tim was barely breathing from an asthma attack and looked like hell, but he had the determination to finish the weekend and hike which followed! The first photo is when he entered the house. In the second photo he looked tired but, pleased to be home!

This is Tim wearing his favorite red cowboy hat! I recall the humorous story about the red cowboy hat. Tim had gone to the Laundromat with me and all of a sudden the white clothes in the front loading washing machine started turning pink! When the machine stopped, I found Tim's red felt hat which was now smaller in size and had taken on a new shape of a red flat circle! He told me "mommy I put my red hat inside a pillow case!"

This is Tim rocking in an old fashioned rocking horse. It actually was one of a few that his grandfather "Pep" made when I was a child.

This was one of the professional photos taken as a small boy! Isn't he adorable!

--Love, Mom

Tim always loved to try to get a rise out of me. He would often accompany me to the children's doctors appointments. During one of Michaela's appointments, I carefully furbished Tim with healthy, balanced snacks for Matty. There were pretzels, raisins and nuts. Tim smiled and told me that all would be fine. After Michaela's doctor appointment, I thanked Dr Kalliel for his time and turned towards the waiting room...only to find Matty covered in Cheeto cheese and Kit Kat chocolate. Tim smiled and said "he didn't want what you gave him".
When I was in college, Tim lived with me for some time (my friends loved it). Our apartment was a neat mill converted into quaint condos. Tim and I would hit the town on the weekends and he would give me some fun money...a generous amount for a college girl, I might add. When we would get ready for our night out, he would check himself out in the mirror...he thought he was Tom Jones and I was just psyched to be seen with him. Well, I would save some of that money and one day I got a cool hair style and a new suede coat. When I came home with my new look, I literally had just stepped into the apartment when Tim said "Wow, you are a good looking chick; I'm glad to be seen with you!".

"Some people will wait a lifetime for a moment like this"...I wouldn't give up any of our moments together. Miss you, brother bear.
--Michelle, Tim's sister

The first year Michelle and I lived in Colchester, Tim came to visit. After dinner, Tim decided it would be a good idea to attend the Republican club auction at the golf course. Tim observed the first few items that were up for bid. After a quick summarization, Tim started to bid on every item. I mean every item. He bid on bicycles, horse shoe equipment, restaurant gift certificates and so on.

This was my first introduction to Tim's very competitive nature. There were times during the auction Tim and I were bidding against each other. In the end Tim would purchase: Tickets to see the Olympic hockey team, 2 Thomas the Tank engines, and 7 yards of horse manure (Tim did not have a garden or a lawn?). Tim would not be denied the horse manure. It was a simple night that Tim engraved into my psyche forever.
Thanks Tim.
--Karl, Tim's brother-in-law

Carpe Diem - Seize the Day! This has always been on of the phrases I live by and Tim certainly exemplified this. He squeezed the most fun out of each and every day. He always greeted me and everyone else with the warmest of smiles. His face lit up because he was so happy to see you; it made you feel so special. Tim had a way of making everyone feel special. I remember visiting Tim and his family on the lake one summer and everyone was eating hamburgers and hotdogs. I don't eat red meat and it didn't bother me that I didn't have any. I was just happy to be surrounded by a family that loved each other so much. Tim however, did not want me to be excluded so he warmed up some of his turkey divan. He asked if I liked water chestnuts and I said that I really never did, but I was sure his would be good. He said the fiber was good for me and joked that I'd be in the "hopper" before too long.
Tim and I shared a love of cooking and like all of his culinary treats (my favorite broccoli and cheese quiche) the food was delicious. I am sure it was because of his secret ingredient of heaping spoonfuls of love. Of course, if you knew Tim that really was no secret. I've been hooked on water chestnuts ever since then. They remind me of Tim and that makes me smile. So many things remind me of Tim. Sometimes I'll be driving along in my car and hear a particular song like "Hot Rod Lincoln" which I did just yesterday and I will smile and know that Tim's spirit is still near and I will thank God for letting me get to know him. I didn't know him as long as other people might have but that doesn't matter, it's the quality of the time that counts. Many of God's creations don't last long - a brilliant sunrise or sunset, a shooting start, a dragonfly - but while they're here they touch us profoundly, just like Tim. I've always been a rather quiet person by nature but now I try every now and then to do something out of the ordinary for me even though I may feel hesitant - something that will make Tim smile as he watches from Heaven. For instance, on Halloween I wore a funny costume to the gym to exercise in and it made everyone smile and laugh. At Christmas I put on a red glowing reindeer nose and showed up at work, to the drive up window at the bank, and just for fun while driving around. Sometimes I'll be feeling some physical pain, but I won't let it get me down. I will forge ahead with a smile and a joke just like Tim used to do. Tim taught me the value of seizing the day, seizing the moment. We only get one chance to make our mark in life and I've learned from Tim to take more chances, love a little deeper, risk being hurt, speak out a little more boldly about what I'm passionate about, open my heart wider and have more fun. The light of God's love showed in Tim and I'm going to do my best to make sure that spirit continues to burn brightly. I won't let the candle go out. Thank you Tim, for helping me to shine a little brighter.
--Edwina, Sharon and Tim's friend

I was just watching home movies from a year ago, and it came to when my daughter Kaylee let her butterfly go. We had gone to the Butterfly Place and brought home a cocoon and watched each day as it transformed into a beautiful butterfly. Kaylee had been anticipating releasing it into the world.

I forgot we even taped "the butterfly release". Unfortunately, you can't see Tim in the video, but you can hear him. Specifically, when Kaylee opened the box, the butterfly just stayed there. You can hear Tim say "you must be feeding the butterfly those steak tips...she's not going anywhere!" Then you can hear him laughing when the butterfly flew up the road and took a left onto the main street...and imitating the butterfly, he says "Where the heck is the highway??".

This picture shows Tim helping Kaylee hit the ball. He was so encouraging and patient and you could tell he truly wanted her to hit it! Both Kaylee and Patrick loved to see "Sharon and Tim", and even though Kaylee had just turned 5 when Tim passed away, she absolutely remembers him. We will be driving in the car talking about something funny that someone said and she'll say "You know who was really funny?? Tim". That's the kind of impact Tim had on everyone he met. We miss him.
--Lynn, Sharon and Tim's friend

It has taken me a while to write a Tim memory, because every time I would sit down to write one, a million others would come to mind, and I would get lost in emotions. I can remember when Sharon first called to tell me she had met Tim. She said he was older than us, and really liked 70's music. To a young twenty something who had been with Sharon through other boyfriends, Tim just didn't seem, well, Sharon's type. We all know how wrong I was! I realized that the minute I met him and saw how he treated Sharon, and how incredibly happy she was. I think I knew he was a keeper when he started playing "Whaley and Poley" games with her, she and I had stopped playing with stuffed animals together when we were in fourth grade! Tim was always so supportive and positive and just made me feel good. He made it a point to come to the hospital after I had delivered each of my three girls and he would swear that the red, wrinkled, squished up bundle he held in his arms was the most beautiful baby in the world. When it came time to decide who would be Tabitha's Godfather it was a shoe in that it would be Tim, even with my husband's huge family. Tim had become part of my family, someone who I could trust to love my daughter, if not feed her Oreo's and Smarties for breakfast! I know in my heart that Tim continues to look out for Tabitha and her sisters, and I am pretty sure that when Tabitha goes on one of her goofy streaks that Tim is egging her on. He was a very special person, one whom I will be sure to keep in my daughters hearts and memories.
--Hollie, Sharon and Tim's friend

One memory of Tim that I have is when my son, Timmy was about 3 years old. I had to go to work and he was sick..a cold I think... day care didn't want him, so I called Uncle Rich and Uncle Tim's apartment thinking one of them would be available. No Uncle Rich and Uncle Tim just got home from working all night at Roadway. He didn't hesitate to offer to watch Timmy, actually..he insisted. I wish I had a camera. As I was leaving for work I turned to say goodbye....Uncle Tim and Timmy were laying on the couch, one on one end, the other on the other end, and a big blanket over the middle, just two heads popping out one at each end. I'll never forget how cute they looked, both with big smiles. Tim was very much like a brother to me...I miss him.
--Heidi, Little Timmy's Mom and Tim's close friend

We use to have Memorial Day parties every year as well as (little) Timmy's birthday parties and during the years Uncle Tim was living with Rich and Paul he would always come along. Upon their arrival without exception, it took no more than 5 to 10 minutes for Uncle Tim to get into little Tim's stuff, (water balloons, squirt guns, noise makers) and start chasing people around, and of course little Tim's uncles (Tim, Rich, Paul) would have the occasional touch football game using little Tim as the ball. Tim was a big part of my son Timmy's life when he was little, he gave him the love of an uncle and a friend and this love will stay with Timmy for the rest of his life. When I first met Tim, I was not sure how to take him, but as time passed I grew to respect and admire the person that he was. At our next party I would like nothing better than to get hit with that water balloon and turn around to see Uncle Tim's smiling face once again.
--Kevin, Little Timmy's Dad and Tim's close friend

Tim and Ronnie Visit Uncle Paul in Greenbelt, MD for Labor Day (circa 1988 or 1989)
The Carnival: The Greenbelt Labor Day Festival Committee contracts with a carnival company - Rosedale Amusements – each year to provide rides and other forms of carnival entertainment. Tim and Ronnie enjoyed the ping pong ball toss, with each successfully netting a goldfish. The goldfish never made it beyond the carnival grounds – Tim, and possibly Ronnie, swallowed them. They wanted to see how I would react. They also successfully played another game (I think it was darts), each winning a choice of a picture of various contemporary artists. But they were not done – they proceeded to win a prize to take home for Michelle.
The Toilet: One of them, I do not remember who, used an excessive amount of toilet paper, blocking the toilet. I called the apartment complex maintenance man, who came promptly to fix the problem. With all of us watching the man snake out the toilet, I engaged the plumber in casual conversation, leading up to the consequences of excessive toilet paper. I saw no need to get angry, yet I hoped to exemplify an important lesson. I knew that Ronnie and Tim were contemplating the situation in the silence of their hearts. Toilet paper usage dropped dramatically.
Model Rockets: Before 9/11, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center offered model rocket launches on the first and third Sundays of the month, weather permitting. So I took Tim and Ronnie to the Visitors’ Center after Mass and lunch, without telling them where we were going. Even when they realized we were at Goddard did they know what I had in mind. I quickly checked to make sure the rocket launching rack was in place, and once I knew that it was ago, I revealed my plan to Ronnie and Tim.
The Parade: Greenbelt has a traditional Labor Day Parade in the morning. The three of us stacked out a nice shady spot on Crescent Road, about a block from the reviewing stand. The two were impressed when city councilman, Ed Putens, greeted me by my first name.
Departure: I really knew, deep in my heart, that they were two wonderful young men.
-- Uncle Paul, Tim's Uncle and Godfather

I can remember one of the first "holiday parties" our office had as a group outside of work. We all met one early evening, along with our significant others, to celebrate the holidays and come together as a group of friends. So there we were, all sitting in our seats telling and listening to stories before the evening meal. Unfortunately, I wasn't sitting at the same table as Tim and Sharon that night but at the same time it provided the opportunity for an interesting engagement. As we were invited to go up to the buffet table and begin our meal I walked over to shake hands with Tim and introduce my fiancee. He reached up to shake my hand, wearing that never-ending smile of his, and grabbed my arm instead as he said "You've been working out haven't you?". I laughed, Tim smiled, I don't know what my fiancee was thinking and I think Sharon's jaw hit the floor. I didn't think much of it, because Tim was just that sort of guy: very easy going, approachable and good spirited. His compliment made me feel good about myself that night, and every time I would approach the buffet, Tim would notice and encourage me to "take more"!
A few days later I remember Sharon joking about Tim "groping me" at dinner. It made for a good story and I'm sure Tim and Sharon had as many laughs over the occasion as I did. The few moments I had the privilege of sharing time with Tim always involved laughter. His sense of humor (and amazing culinary skills) are what I remember most...not to mention that infectious smile that was always carried into Sharon's day.
--Bob B, Sharon's coworker and friend

About halfway through our first MBA class together, the Professor announced that we were going to have a group project. I have always dreaded group projects because the group usually relies on one person to do all the work. Looking around the room, I was not particularly interested in working with anyone, figuring that I was going to do all the work myself, and that they would get the credit. As we started picking groups, this guy with a big smile and a tee shirt says “I want to work with you and her” and points to Michelle Petersen. Tim had participated in class before, and there was no doubt that he was smart, so I said “sure.”
We decided to meet on Saturday mornings to go over strategy, Tim always came in with a big smile and coffee for us. I offered to get the coffee for the next week, but he said that was his job. We developed a formula early on that would be repeated over the course of the MBA Program any time we had a group project. Michelle liked researching the history of the companies, and making the presentations, Tim would obtain all of the current data and become a number crunching machine, and I would then develop a strategy based on the history of the company and their current status. The first time we did this, we all discussed every detail and pitched our portions of the presentation to each other. I remember convincing Tim that we should volunteer to go first, because we could relax after we presented while all of the other teams scrambled to make changes. (He would tell me later that he was glad that we went first—then during subsequent classes we would fight over who got to present their individual projects first!)
By the time the last course in the Program had come, our group strategy was in place, and we trusted in each other so much, that we never met to pitch the entire presentation to each other as we had in the past. I always had some idea of what Michelle’s and Tim’s parts were because they forwarded them to me in advance so I could develop the team’s strategy going forward. So why I am I telling you all of this? As I said earlier, Tim is a guy who always had a smile on his face (even when talking to me about re-bar!). The day that we are to make our presentation, I am sick. I still show up to class and plan to go on. The three of us are up front as usual, and Michelle is pitching away. She turns things over to Tim, and as he is presenting, I realize that I have to go to the bathroom, now. Keep in mind, he does not know what our team’s strategy is because we never discussed it. As I’m leaving the room quickly, I turn to see Tim, with the smile completely gone from his face! I’ll always remember it, because it was so out of character for him. Anyway, I made it back before he finished, made our pitch and we got our "A". He would tell me later that he was never so glad to see me as when I came back into that classroom.
We had a lot of fun pushing each other in that program. He never let me forget that he got the "A" from Dr. Boggess, and that I got an A- which ruined my perfect 4.0 GPA. He could also take the ribbing as well as dish it out, and that’s what made it fun. Some of the other students might have thought that we were childish, and maybe we were, but at work we have entire programs where people come in and try to teach us how to make things fun at work. By the time I met him, Tim already knew how…
--Perry, Tim's friend

back to top

About Tim | Candle Lighting |Golf Tournament | Memorial Fund |Memorial Scholarship | Home