09/17/13 - Louise remembers Tom & Nona -

I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Nona and Tom. I had been in touch with Tom and Gwyn over the past eight years, and attended several local Basket Landing concerts with my mother. They were a wonderful faithful couple with a family to make them proud. He dealt bravely with his illness and never lost his sense of humor and concern for friends and family. He will be greatly missed by everyone. I am sorry not to have known more of Nona's life because she was a great person and will also be deeply missed by family, friends and patients. We have lost two wonderful people from the class of '57. I regret that I am so late in responding to the recent news, but I fell in July and suffered a severe eye injury that has required three emergency surgeries. I had no sight in the right eye until last week when the surgeon was able to repair some internal damage and insert a new lens. I am now hoping for more vision over the next couple of months. My family has been wonderful about caring for me at home and I am optimistic about a pretty good recovery. I hope to be able to visit my mother more often because she is still in her apartment in North White Plains. Her health has been fairly good but she doesn't think that "98" is such a great age. She still does some painting, has a cat she loves and does a little local driving. My children are still a little scattered around the country except for my oldest daughter and children who live with me or in the neighborhood. My other daughter is in Tennessee with her family; my son lives in San Antonio with his girlfriend. My sister, Mary, is still in Roselle, Illinois and is a grandmother many times over. I will try to be better about keeping up with the news. My best to everyone. Louise Holsapple Westover

07/24/13 - Tom Powers passed away July 20, 2013 

(Photo - Tim Weinland sends us this photo of Tom & Daughter Amy taken in May 2013. It was during one of their group sing-alongs. He was in his element: laughing, joking and holding forth describing some of the history of the songs they were singing – with family and community friends. He was on oxygen pretty much all the time as you can see. )

Tom Powers, known to many of his friends as “Dooley,” passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 20, 2013, surrounded by his loving family. He was 73 years old. The son of the late Thomas E. Powers and Virginia R. Moore, Tom was born in New York City on October 27, 1939. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961-1963 and received his education as an English teacher at Yale University and Albany State University. Tom was a resident of Hankins, New York and for many years lived and worked at East Ridge, a recovery center for people with all kinds of addictions, which he and his father founded in 1964. He is remembered by many as an avid fisherman, folk singer, guitar player, writer, and teacher – and as a wonderfully humorous and loving father, husband, brother, and friend. Throughout his life he helped countless people with his words, his actions, and his example of a life lived for God.

Tom leaves behind his wife of nearly 36 years, Gwyn, whose care for him in his long illness was an inspiration to all around them. He is survived by seven children, their spouses, and fifteen grandchildren: Donna and Jim McKinney, Avery and Mallory; Nancy and Royal Harris, Jacob and Nathan; Steve and Kristin Powers; Lisa and Steve Feldman, Ted, Lucy, and Maggie; Rebecca and Nate Zaur, Jean, Sophie, and Natalie; Amy and Paul Smith, Lewis, Irene, and Malcolm; John and Stephanie Powers, Ethan and Timothy. He is also survived by four sisters: Katherine Curtis, Claire Powers, Joan Stein, and Rachel Dingle.

Private funeral and graveside services will be held on Monday, July 22. Burial will be made in the Callicoon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Church of the Holy Name, PO Box 4, Hankins, New York 12741.

email from Gwyn Powers, Tom's Wife

Dear friends, I'm sorry to have to tell you that Tom passed away just a little over a week ago. We were very blessed in being able to be with him throughout his final illness at the nearby regional hospital -- all 7 of his children and their spouses were able to be with him for varying amounts of time as he neared the end. The 2 girls from Tennessee -- Donna and Nancy -- and their brother Stephen, who now lives in North Carolina all made the drive up in time. His last few days we were able to have Hospice care in the hospital, as he was on a morphine drip to keep the pain tolerable -- and he spoke to us frequently until the last 48 hours when he woke up just once to say goodby around 7:00 pm on Friday evening. He passed quietly about 3:30 am on Saturday while myself and our 3 daughters were staying overnight with him.

Illness summary --  Tom had what turned out to be a perforated colon on July 4 (at the time it occurred it was just incredible abdominal pain -- 3 days after a relatively good report on his July 1 colonoscopy, done prior to starting a new medicine for his lousy digestive tract). Things progressed slowly until Saturday, July 6 when we had to take him to the local emergency room, then transfer to the Catskill Regional hospital over by Monticello. Emergency surgery on Tuesday evening July 9 -- colostomy, stomach tube, massive infection drainage. He appeared to be healing pretty well through the rest of the week -- was released from ICU on Friday, had a decent weekend -- but by Monday overnight was having trouble breathing (there had been some fluid in the lungs when we first got to the hospital, but not of much concern relatively speaking). Anyway, it had gone into full, severe pneumonia with lungs filling up and with no way forward except through intubation, etc., etc. -- which he/we had previously decided not to do if the other measures didn't turn the ship around. So . . . we kept him as comfortable as possible with amazing doctor/nursing support and in-hospital Hospice care. He left us quietly at 3:30 am Saturday, July 20.

We all miss him a lot, but have wonderful family and friends' support to surround us as we all move forward. I know he tremendously enjoyed all of the visits/personal communications with all of you and would want you to know of his passing from the family -- not just the website update. I do hope this note finds all of you in good health and enjoying our recent lovely stretch of summer weather.

Very best wishes, Gwyn Powers (and family)