We have lost one of our own.

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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NWMO
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We have lost one of our own.

Post by NWMO »

It is with sadness I share the following obituary. Tom (ARCHINSTL) passed away unexpectedly this last weekend. I had visited his house (to drop off a Tercel part) this weekend after emailing about a visit. His daughter contacted me via email and gave her permission for me to share Tom’s passing as it was on her list of things needing done. I will miss you friend.

Thomas Maher

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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rer233
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My tercel:: Multiple

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by rer233 »

RIP Tom- we're gonna miss you...
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
atoyta
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Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:32 pm
My tercel:: 3 wagons now
Location: Monroe, Washington

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by atoyta »

Wow, thoughts go out to his family. Sorry to see this.
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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Mattel »

Really sad to hear this -Tom had contributed over 6,000 posts on here since 2004. I was always hoping to get to the US sometime and buy a Tercel and drive to St Louis to meet him. I had some interactions with him as I sent him some rear retractable seat belts and parts that you don't get in the US a few years ago and snuck in a tube of Australian Vegemite condiment that he said he tormented his grandchildren with. He was part of the heart and soul of this forum and this will be part of his legacy.
Thanks for relaying this information NWMO. My thoughts to you and his family
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
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splatterdog
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Location: Minnesota, USA

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by splatterdog »

Terrible news. If this site had an ambassador, it was surely him. Hopefully his T4 finds as good an owner.
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NWMO
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Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by NWMO »

Image




Tom was/is (posthumously) a giant on the forum, I look a little like a giant in the photo. This was from the fall of 2016' (w/ Tom's "Goldie"), unfortunately, my only visit with Tom. Gone, but not forgotten.
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
oldfaithful
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My tercel:: 1984 Tercel 4WD

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by oldfaithful »

So sorry to hear, condolences to his family.
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dcn
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My tercel:: 1987 4WD SR5 Wagon
Location: Halifax, NS, Canada

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by dcn »

Oh no. Awful news, condolences as well.
Metallic Blue '87 4WD SR5
The Professor
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Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 6:38 pm
My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
Location: Western Washington
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Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by The Professor »

Sad news to be sure. It seems we take our fellow forum members for granted, always expecting a reply or advice, rarely thinking of them outside the digital confines of our forums. I didn't know Tom in any personal capacity, but his orbit is certainly felt on this forum. His wisdom and insight will continue to support future Tercel owners, which will be his true digital legacy.

Rest easy Tom, and know that we're still thinking of you and speaking your name in reverence.
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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marlinh
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My tercel:: 'Everett' Blue 87 4WD Wagon (Rocky 86, recently retired)
Location: Kootenays

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by marlinh »

So sorry to hear about his passing. I always enjoyed reading his posts and his sense of humour. He will be missed.
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dlb
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My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by dlb »

I'm shocked. tom was one of the first to welcome me to this forum and has been consistently present ever since. It will be a very different place without him.
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Abletobecain
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My tercel:: 1983 4WD DLX, 1986 4WD SR5, 1985 4WD SR5, 1983 4WD SR5
Location: Kitsap County
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Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Abletobecain »

This is heartbreaking. :( Tom always had invaluable advice and was so positive. He felt like a friend without ever meeting him. In fact you all do and I appreciate you all. Tom will surely be missed. I'm sure he's got one tricked out T4 on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.
1977 BMW R100S 1WD ("Brunhilda"/Summer Fun)
1983 DLX Tercel Wagon 4WD ("Charlie"/Daily Driver)
1987 SR5 Tercel Wagon 4WD ("Sprocket"/Off-road-Camping)
1985 SR5 Tercel Wagon 4WD ("Lucky"/Project)
1983 SR5 Tercel Wagon 4WD ("Cadaver"/Parts Car)
1985 Ford F250 6.9IDI ("Franklin"/Hauler)
1987 SR5 Tercel Wagon 4WD ("Ravensburger"/in a million pieces)
2006 BMW 530XI Wagon ("Inga"/Roadtripper)
1969 Mercury Montego MX Convertible ("Big Ed"/My Dad's Old Car)
1983 SR5 Tercel Wagon 4WD ("Al"/for sale soon)
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irowiki
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Location: Farmington, NM

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by irowiki »

When a community is small like this, there are those we expect to always be around, and Tom was one of those guys. Snarky, funny, and helpful!

Also probably the most tech minded guy his age I have ever met. Even back in 2005 he was an ebay vet with a few thousand sales!

He'll be missed, and I changed his username color to match that of his car, Goldie, so we can remember both.

If you want a blast from the past, here's his first post!

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=851
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)

Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!

87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Petros »

sad news indeed. condolences to his family. he always seemed in good health, good humor and was active. he never mentioned any health issues.

I too had hoped to someday take a road trip through st. Louis and pay him a visit. I guess that can not happen now. We had exchanged many discussions both on the forum and via email, and several phone calls as well. He is the remaining few of the DIY types, not just fixing his own car, but appliances and other things around the house. He used to share stories with me how when he visited his daughter or nieces and nephews, he would go around the house doing simple fixes on the various installation because no one in the younger generation knew what to do without calling a repair man.

I am going to miss him greatly.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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NWMO
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Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by NWMO »

Peter,

I second your comments on Tom, he was the real McCoy. I had traded emails about a week before and he had plans, graduations for grandkids and an annual “remembrance get together” for a daughter that passed some years ago. They always got together on her birthday and as fate would have it, Tom passed on the same day. I hope I can be as active and involved as Tom right to the end, his passing was a surprise as another of his daughters shared his health had been good. He graduated HS in 1958, so I figure he was born in 40’ or 41’, nearly 80 years old.

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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