Obituary of Thomas William Smith

Thomas William Smith, 72, of West Melbourne, FL, formerly of Massachusetts, earned his angel wings on Monday, December 4th, surrounded by his loving family. Tom was the son of the late Robert & Elva Smith, and grew up in Peabody, Massachusetts. After serving his country in the National Guard, he went on to work for the Peabody Fire Department for 33 years. Being a firefighter was something he felt passionate about and it was also where he started many of his lifelong friendships. He would often attend musters and spend a lot of spare time reading fire department books, magazines, and newspaper articles. Where Tom was a very giving person who always wanted to help and serve others , firefighting was a perfect fit for him Upon his retirement from the fire department, Tom moved to West Melbourne, where he really never slowed down. He became a devout Catholic and joined the Knights of Columbus – Fr Gabriel Council #3746. The hours he spent with his ‘brother Knights’, working for the council and serving the community, brought him great joy. He will be forever remembered at the Knights Hall as ‘the popcorn man’. Above all else, Tom was a loving and giving man, selfless and humble. Tom was an amazing father and friend to both of his daughters. He could always be counted on for everything from hugs and advice, to precise directions to anywhere, as well as the knowledge and ability to fix almost anything. He is survived by his daughters Peggy Flowers, of Hopkinton, NH and Cyndie Paraski, and her husband Gary, of Somersworth, NH, his beloved grandchildren – David Davey & wife Sheena, Ryan Davey & wife Brittany, Kevin Flowers, Brendan Dion, Brianna Smith, Andrew Paraski and Benjamin Paraski, by three great-grandsons, Chase, Nicholas and Desmond. His first great-granddaughter is due to arrive in early 2018. He always had lots of high-fives for his grandsons and hugs for his princess. In addition, Tom is survived by his loving sister, and close friend, Jean Fierro, and her husband Jeff, of Palm Bay, FL. A Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 from 4:00 until 7:00 PM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home at the 82 Lynn St., Peabody facility. His funeral will be held on Wednesday, January 3 at 10:00 AM from the Funeral Home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. John the Baptist Church, 16 Church St., Peabody at 11:00 AM. Burial will be in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody. Expressions of sympathy may be made to St. Jude children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 in his memory.