Friday, November 26th, 2010 former Positive Links chair passed from this life. Thomas lived a  healthy lifestyle and made healthy choices part of his daily routine. From eating the right foods to taking the right supplements to daily exercise, Thomas chose health!  It is unfortunate that he passed away while exercising, but knowing Thomas this was probably a great way to go as far as he would have been concerned…he really enjoyed his workouts. We have been told he went painlessly and very quickly.

Thomas was a long time survivor of HIV. He had more than 27 years of HIV illness behind him and was leading a very active and productive life. There had been times in his life he had experienced many close calls with death. He was nearly beaten to death several years ago in San Diego and years before that had nearly succumbed to pneumonia and a deadly infection. He was a fighter and proved it by pulling out of these “close calls” and living an active life.

For several years Thomas had lived in the Northwest Arkansas area and had volunteered with various organizations. He was a Quaker and attended the Friends Meeting in Fayetteville. In November 2009 Thomas decided to move to New Hampshire to be with his son and grandchildren. He enjoyed spending time with them. One of the latest updates he had posted on his Facebook page was a photo of himself attending “grandparents” day at the school with one of his grandkids. He was having a great time. We were sad to see him leave northwest Arkansas but now are so thankful that he was able to spend the last year of his life with his children and grandchildren.

Thomas was a loving man…opinionated, but all the same, loving. He helped develop Positive Links into an organization and spearheaded the POZ Only meetings with his vast knowledge of HIV issues. He was a very intellectual person and knew exactly where he stood on most subjects, and didn’t mind telling you his view on things. He was a joy to be around, always had a great smile to share and a big hug. He was an avid writer and could blast the page with statistics that would make heads spin concerning HIV issues. He was a great friend, always willing to be there for someone and willing to lend a helping hand. He will be deeply missed.

We will miss you Thomas!