Just devastated. Surreal. Tom was an ideal public servant, of the people, by the people, for the people, and with the people.

His joy, his vision, was to love and empower the grassroots of Council District Four.

Tom breathed visionary life into our dreams. Tom was very patriotic and elected right after Sept. 11, 2001. He was sworn in privately in Griffith Park on Mt. Hollywood with his wife, kids, and just a few of us because of threats of possible terrorist attacks threatening our local democracy. To make the ceremony visually “official,” I loaned Tom my huge American flag. As winds whipped, Tom beamed and proudly raised high this fiercely flapping banner and took his oath of office as councilman.

His favorite movie, “Rebel Without A Cause” with James Dean, inspired him to become a rebel with a cause: Los Angeles, the City of the Angels.

It was my honor and pleasure to serve as Tom’s deputy of beautification for seven years. He died just two days before his hero, Elvis Presley’s birthday. Forever, we will remember Tom and “Love Him Tender.” We will honor Tom and [developer] Jerry Snyder in the Miracle Mile in the spirit of cooperation and include the Los Angeles Fire Department, another of Tom’s true loves.

Lyn MacEwen Cohen

Hancock Park